Countdown
by Brainlock
Summary: Sequel to Albion and Barcelona. Gleeson!Doctor and River have their lives turned upside down as Markham decides to move on. Abraxas moves to insure events unfold properly while his motives are thrown into question. The new Torchwood makes it's move with dire consequences for all involved, but who is really running the operation?
1. Ch22 Overdue

Doctor Who: ALBION - Countdown

Chapter 22 - Overdue

Disclaimer - I don't own nothing or nobody you know/recognize. Doctor Who is intellectual property of the BBC, afaik.

Characters: Gleeson!Doctor, Markham, River, Jack, OCs

* * *

"I'm sorry, sir, there's nothing more that we can do," the doctor informed him.

"She's too young," he countered. "She's my baby girl, there must be something? Money is no object!" he begged.

The doctor gave him a sad look. He knew any parent would say the same, and this man was one of the few who could actually back up that claim. "I'm sorry. It's only a matter of time. I would suggest you spend it with her, make her comfortable."

"Please! You have to do something!"

"I've done all I can," he said and turned to leave.

The man turned back to the observation window and stared at his sleeping daughter. A nurse quietly arranged the stacks of books she loved to read and he read to her when she was awake. Times that grew fewer and farther between as she grew sicker. He barely noticed she had exited the room until she spoke.

"Oh! Excuse me, sir, but visiting hours are almost over."

He slowly turned to her in quiet anger. "Do you know who I am?" Then he saw she was looking past him.

"Felman Lux?"

The voice had came from behind him. He turned to see two men standing there. A tall, burly ginger in a brown suit and overcoat and his associate, standing slightly behind appeared to be slightly smaller, with dark, close cropped hair and beard. His suit was all black.

"You are Felman Lux, are you not?" he repeated.

"Who are you?"

The ginger man smiled. "I'm the Doctor, and I believe we can help each other."

"Another doctor," he snarled. "Unless you have some miracle cure that will save my daughter, I don't want to hear it."

"Yes and no, Mr. Lux." He held out a PAD screen.

Lux hesitantly took it and began scrolling through plans for a building. A very large building. "What is this?"

"How would you like your daughter to be remembered for generations to come?"

Lux kept scrolling through the plans. This building was larger than he realized. He began to understand. "I don't know what you're trying to sell me, but now is not the time," he warned.

"I'm not trying to sell you anything, Mr. Lux," he said. "These are plans for a memorial library for your daughter. All I ask is that you make it the largest repository of knowledge ever created. Donations from hundred of worlds, none will be refused."

Lux laughed at him. "That would be an insane undertaking. Why, the costs alone-"

"Your name and your daughter would be remembered for centuries to come. What better legacy for a girl who only lived a few short years?" he gruffly suggested.

The Doctor's associate swatted him on the arm. "What my friend is trying to say is, the technology exists to let her mind live on as a caretaker of sorts, in the library."

Lux kept scrolling. Their idea had merit, he hated to admit, but there was one question he had to know. "What's in it for you?"

"Your daughter isn't the only one whose life can be saved by this," he insisted. "We only ask that we be allowed to design one small part of the security features. An emergency protocol, if you will."

Felman Lux eyed him suspiciously. "I'm listening."

* * *

"Are you sure this is wise?" Jack inquired, zipping up the white hazard suit uniform.

"Right now, you're the only one who has a chance of surviving an encounter with them," the Doctor assured his immortal friend.

"Yeah. That's reassuring," he snarked as the Doctor fastened the helmet on.

He soniced the suit's pressurization to 800%. "There, that should do it," he said and turned to Markham. "You have it?"

Will held up the portable hard drive and handed it to his current lover. "Be careful."

Jack winked and smiled. "Aren't I always?" He received two frowns in return. "Yeah, thanks for the support."

"One last touch," the Doctor said and waved his Sonic across the visor. It went pitch black.

"Hey, who turned out the lights?" he asked, caught off guard.

"You're not funny," the Time Lord chided him. "Now go stand by the door."

Jack did as he was told as the Doctor made an adjustment from the control panel. "Is it safe?"

"Internal force field is up. Be careful out there, Jack," he advised.

Jack nodded and stepped out of the TARDIS into the Library. His HUD sensors indicated movement 100 yards away. He quietly moved closer to find a pair in matching white suits moving toward the lift. From behind, he almost mistook the man for Will until he turned around.

The woman was unmistakable. "I'm going back to check on the Doctor," she told him. "You get ready for our signal."

Strackman Lux gave her a hesitant nod and stepped onto the platform in the column of light. He rose up out of sight as she turned back the way they had come. She caught Jack off guard when she pulled out her own Sonic and pointed it at him.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked.

He held up his free hand and offered her the case with the other. "He's going to put up a fight. Be gentle."

"You didn't answer my question." Her other hand came up holding a gun. Jack recognized it immediately.

"Hey, that doesn't belong to you," he protested.

"You're on the wrong end of it to argue," she warned. "Who are you?"

"A friend. I have something you're going to need to pull this off."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Time is running out and you're going to need my help, since he'll fight you."

"How do you know?" she demanded.

He sighed and set the case down, then reached into a pocket. "You're probably going to need these for him. From my personal collection, I might add."

She smiled and holstered her gun. "He sent you, didn't he?"

She couldn't see his smile behind the blackened visor, but she could hear it in his voice. "Spoilers."

"Right, follow me."

A minute later, the Doctor was unconscious and Jack cuffed him to a piece of equipment. The pair worked quickly to finish reassembling the hardware for her sacrifice.

"You know, if this works-" he began.

"I know the costs. Hand me that spanner."

"Why does it have to be you?"

She stopped and looked at him. "You obviously know who I am and why I'm doing this. You won't let me look at your face. Why is that?"

"Spoilers."

She rolled her eyes. "Typical you, always having to do things your way, even when you know you're wrong."

She turned back to her work, then heard a soft chuckle muffled by the visor. "So it's not you, crossing over your own time stream? Where is he then?"

"Nearby."

"So, what? He's sent you to take my place?"

"I would if I could, but he won't let me. This equipment is already calibrated for you."

She stopped again and looked at him. "Last ditch effort to save me, is that it?"

"He'll argue with you about-"

"Time can be rewritten, I know," she smirked. Her voice dropped. "Not this time, though."

"He still believes we can."

"And what's your part in all this, hmm?"

"That's what I'm here to change." He seemed to look around, but the visor made it hard. He held up a scanner to a port, checking the process one last time.

"It's you, isn't it?"

He ignored her. "It's already set. The power charge will-" He couldn't finish the thought.

She placed her hand on his. "Thank you."

A slight moan came from behind them. They both turned to see the younger Doctor beginning to stir.

"You'd better go."

"Good luck," he said and turned away as she turned back to her work. She laid her Sonic next to his on top of her diary, just out of his reach, then took her seat and began assembling the last connections.

From around the corner, Jack heard his friend wake up as the computer marked two minutes. "ohh. Oh, no, no, no! That's my job!"

He kept his silence as he listened in. He began to understand their relationship more. The sacrifice she was making for him, for the universe? No wonder he was so anxious to rescue her.

A blinding light filled the area as the countdown finished. When it ended, he could hear a faint sobbing. He debated going over to free his friend, but he knew the Doctor could sense who he really was, even hidden inside the suit. Someone touched him on the shoulder, and he turned to see a young woman with dark hair, in a dark pantsuit standing there.

"Go," she nodded. "I'll take care of him." when he hesitated, she urged, "He'll know you're here, Jack. Hurry."

He didn't know who she was (but she reminded him of Tosh a little bit) or how she knew him, but he knew it was the right thing to do. He returned to the TARDIS.

He was barely inside before the Doctor growled, "What took you so long?"

"Sorry, lost track of time, then I had to hide from you."

The Time Lord's expression made it obvious he didn't believe his friend. "You made sure neither of us saw you?"

"Wouldn't you remember that?"

"I was unconscious, Jack," he reminded the Time Agent.

"Well, there's your answer then," he said.

The Time Lord eyed him suspiciously. "You didn't see anyone else down there, did you?"

Jack shrugged. "Just Lux, but he never saw me."

The Doctor stayed silent. He didn't remember seeing Jack that day, but in the shock of losing River, he couldn't remember who freed him, either.

"All you alright?" the woman asked the Doctor.

He looked around to see where the voice had come from. A young woman with faintly Asian features was looking around from behind some equipment. "No, not really."

"Do you need some help?"

"I-yes, I've been handcuffed to this equipment," he told her, then pointed with his free hand. If you could hand me that device, I can free myself."

She surveyed the area, seemingly surprised at what she found. "Was there someone else down here with you?" she inquired.

He looked to the seat River had been in moments before. It was now empty. "No. No, not anymore," he said forlornly.

She handed him his Sonic. "I'm sorry."

"Wait. Where did you come from?" he asked as he released himself. He slipped the cuffs into his jacket pocket.

"I'm not sure?" she replied. "One minute, I'm studying in the Library, the next...it was like I fell asleep, but then I woke up down here?" She looked around, seemingly studying the set-up River had made. "It feels like I've been asleep for weeks?"

He collected River's diary and Sonic then turned to her. "What did you say your name was?"

"Oh, I just, uh, I forget?" she stammered nervously. "I'm not even sure where I am?"

He shook his coat over his shoulders. "You're still in the Library, just down in the heart of it."

She didn't seem surprised by this. "Oh, if you say so? How do we get back?"

He held out his arm and smiled. "Allow me," he said as she took it. He paused a moment to look back at the seat again before escorting her topside. Once there, he lost her in the swarm of people that now occupied the Library as he looked for Donna Noble.

The woman slipped away from him and headed off to a well lit walkway. She seemed to pause for a moment beside a door and, had anyone been watching her, she seemingly vanished right next to it.

"Took you long enough," the burly, bearded ginger at the control station chided her.

"Jack's here," she informed him.

"Yeah, so I remember being told," he replied. "Did he see you?"

"I had no choice. I told him to get away before the Doctor knew he was there," she told him. "Luckily, he didn't argue."

"Did he accomplish his part of the mission, Su?"

She nodded. "As far as I could tell."

He examined a monitor. "We only have a few hours before he realizes what's really going on, then we can proceed."

"What are you going to do, Abe?" she inquired.

He turned and smiled at her. "What I've always done. What I have to."

Inside the TARDIS, Jack inquired, "So what do we do until you and Donna leave?"

The Doctor continued to watch his younger self on the monitor. "Just sit tight and be ready to move at a moment's notice," he replied.

Jack and Will looked at each other and shrugged. "Got a deck of cards?" Will asked.

"In my room," he replied, a smile breaking on his face.

"Race ya," Will chuckled.

"No more strip poker!" the Doctor yelled after them. He could hear laughter follow the pair down the hallway.

He was tempted to jump ahead a few hours, but there was always the chance someone else would stumble onto their mission. That was a chance he couldn't take.

Unseen to each other, both men kept close watch on the younger Doctor, silently cheering him on as he realized what his future self had done (would do?) in order to save River's life.

Both laughed as he smugly walked up to the node with Charlotte Lux's face. "Be sure and take good care of her, will you?"

Charlotte smiled. "River Song has been saved."

"There's a good girl," he smiled grimly and strode back to his TARDIS where Donna waited.

The elder Doctor smiled to himself as he watched his younger incarnation snap his fingers to open the TARDIS for the first time. He remembered thinking it wouldn't work, and when it did, just how much this River would come to mean to him.

It was a question for another day, he knew, but only now realized it was technically the same day. As he watched the other TARDIS fade away, he hit the commlink. "Jack, Will, get dressed and get up here!" They showed up almost immediately. He didn't ask why they were arguing who owed what to who. Luckily, it was money.

"Both of you shut up and pay attention! This is where it gets tricky," he ordered them and began to go over the plan again. Satisfied they knew what to do, he strode to the door and opened it, only to run into an invisible wall.

"You turned off the force field, right?" Will asked as Jack checked his nose to see if it was broken or not.

"Of course I did!" he shot back. "There's something else parked in front of the door! We just can't see it!"

Will went to the door and began feeling out a structure beyond the doorway. "There's only a small gap here, maybe a few inches wide," he told them. "Nothing any of us could squeeze out of."

"So what do we do?" Jack asked. "Dematerialize and turn the TARDIS to a different side or move it?"

The Doctor stumbled back to the control console, still rubbing his nose. "Who else is here?" he demanded. "Someone is out there, preventing us from saving her!" He started throwing switches. "Will! Close the door!"

Will stood there, looking at nothing. "Will!" Jack shouted, grabbing his friend by the shoulder and dragging him back.

"We can't go out there," he said.

"What? Why not?" Jack asked.

"The shadows are moving," he said and looked over to the Doctor.

"What? No! We had a full day to evacuate!" He grabbed the phone handle and punched in a code. Will and Jack covered their ears from the feedback coming off the PA to the outside. "Whoever you are, you will not keep me from my mission! Do you hear me? I am the Doctor! I am here on a rescue mission! Whoever you think you are, the Vashta Nerada are on the prowl and have broken my agreement with them! We were supposed to have one day to evacuate and they have begun hunting their prey early!"

They waited a minute. Will watched the shadows near them shifting slightly. "I think they're getting closer?"

The Doctor turned the PA back on. "I repeat, this is the Doctor! You gave me a full day to evacuate everyone off this facility, but you have broken that agreement! There are still a handful to be evacuated! Withdraw, NOW."

Will turned to Jack. "Go get suited up again, quick!"

The Doctor nodded his agreement. "You can use your vortex manipulator to do this!"

Jack stopped in his tracks. "Uh, about that? I can't."

The Doctor stared at him in disbelief. "What?"

He glanced to Will before answering but the Doctor realized what had happened immediately and ran down to Will at the entrance. He grabbed the front of his suit and shoved him back against the invisible wall. "_What did you do!?_" he fumed. "If you cost me her life-"

"Stop," he said, not trying to fight the man off. "We programmed it in as a failsafe, just in case. Didn't you wonder why her body disappeared?"

"So help me, Markham, I will throw you to the Vashta Nerada myself!"

Jack had run down and tried to pull the Doctor back. "Let him go! I was the one who programmed it! Get mad at me!"

The Doctor turned and glared at Jack. He had never seen the man rage like this, not when he was fighting the Daleks, Davros, or even the Master.

"Get out of my sight, the both of you," he finally said, releasing Will and stalking past Jack to the control console.

"Doctor, we can explain-," Jack began, but the Doctor cut him short.

"Get away from me."

Jack didn't press his luck. He turned back to Will, to call him away, but he saw he had turned back to watch outside. "Will? What's going on?"

"They're getting closer!" he said, then shouted louder. "The shadows are getting closer!"

The Doctor yelled at him. "Shut the door!"

"Can't you maneuver the TARDIS somewhere closer?" Jack asked him. "We can still try and save her!"

"The upload control room's too small or I would have done that before," he informed the immortal. He slammed his hand down on the console. "Will! Shut the door!" he yelled again.

Red lights and klaxons went off outside the TARDIS.

"What's going on, now?" Jack asked.

"Security breach," the Doctor told him. "Whoever's blocking us has just accessed the primary computer core of the planet."

"RUN!" Will yelled out the door. "The shadows are coming!"

"Will you shut the damn door?!" the Doctor shouted again.

Jack ran down to pull Will back and shut the doors, but as he did, he noticed a pair of space-suited figures run past the crack between the TARDIS and whatever was in front of them, then disappear. They carried a large hard drive between them. "What the-?!"

He was suddenly pulled back by Will, who now slammed the doors. He leaned back against them to keep them closed and shouted to the Doctor, "Get us out of here!"

The Doctor dematerialized the craft, then strode down to confront the man from a parallel Earth. "What is going on, Markham?" he demanded.

"I'm not really sure?" he stammered. Neither man believed him.

The Doctor pointed back at the door. "Who was that out there? What were they doing? What aren't you telling me?" He grew louder with each accusation.

Jack came up behind him and put his hand on the Time Lord's shoulder. "Doc, come on, we don't know what's going on here."

The Doctor shrugged Jack's hand off and came nose to nose with the empath. "I think Mr. Markham knows a lot more than he's letting on, don't you, Will?"

"Promise you won't get mad?"

"We're well past mad!" he shouted. "Who were those people and why have they taken River Song?"

Jack tried to pull him back again. "We don't know they took her."

"Then why were they here, Jack?" he asked, still looking Will square in the eye. "Why else would they risk their own lives for hers? Who was it? The Silence? Kovarian? Someone else?"

"Yes."

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, it was someone else," he admitted. "I don't know the full story, yet, but they needed her as much you do."

"Who was it Markham? Who stole my wife?"

Will was silent for a long moment, obviously debating what to tell him.

"Spoilers."

The Doctor opened his mouth to yell at Markham again, but then realized he hadn't spoke and neither had Jack. All three turned to face the control console. River Song stood there in her white belted jacket and dark pants.

"Hello, Sweetie," she grinned. "Miss me?"

The Doctor took a cautious step forward. "River?"

"Who else?"

He shoved Jack aside and ran to her, catching her in a bear hug. His grin faded as he looked at her up close. She was younger than he remembered. "Tell me. Convince me."

She glanced over him to the other two, making sure they were out of earshot, then whispered something. "Are we good?"

"Yes," he said and kissed her hard. They hugged each other for a long minute before he finally released her. "How did you-? Where did you-? Are you even supposed to be here, yet?"

"What, at the Library?" she asked. "Sweetie, that's in my past as well as yours."

"How? How did you escape?" he asked, almost begging. "You were trapped in the computer, we came to rescue you, but-"

"Someone else got to me first?" she finished.

His face grew dark. "Who was it? Who thought they had a better right to save you than I did?"

She hesitated at his anger. "You'll meet them, soon enough," she finally decided.

"Give me a name, River."

"Why? Are you going to congratulate them on helping me or beat them up like a schoolyard bully because you didn't get to?"

"River, please," he begged.

"I think Mr. Markham would question your motives, as well," she countered, glancing toward him. "Am I right, Will?"

Will leaned against the step railing. "Seems to me, someone needs an anger management class."

"_Will_," Jack warned.

"No, Jack, the Doctor's been riding my ass the last few days," he said, glaring at the Time Lord. "I understand you were upset about Sarah Jane's passing, but to threaten me because someone else was faster than you in saving your girlfriend?"

"She's my wife," he corrected.

"Am I?" Her tone suggested this was news to her.

The Doctor spun and looked at her again. "You said the Library was in your past, and we married before you went there, before you earned your professorate," he said. "No more games, River. When are you from?"

She smiled. "Barcelona."

"What?" he stammered. "But that was before our-wait, what?" He noticed Will also did a double-take at this reveal.

"You know what this control room needs? Someplace to sit down."

He pointed to the divan. "Don't avoid the question, River."

"Fine, but _you're_ going to want to sit down for this," she said and headed toward the kitchen.

"River! Come back here!" he shouted, giving chase. The other two shrugged and followed.

They entered the kitchen to find the table set with four cups and two pots. "Coffee? Tea?" she grinned and pushed the Doctor into his seat with one finger and whispered "or me?"

He was not amused. "I want answers."

Her glib attitude faded. She sat across from him. "I can't give you the answers you seek. Not now."

"Why not?"

She considered her answer a moment. "Think of our relationship. I knew things that you couldn't know until you lived them," she explained. "The same rule applies here. The people who saved me? They are part of the future of everyone in this room."

"You're lying."

"Would that I was, my love," she replied. "The four of us-"

"You and I? Yes," he acknowledged. "Jack and I? I could believe," he said, a bit disgruntled. He leaned across the table. "Will? What's he got to offer?"

"Oi! I'm sitting right here," he reminded the Time Lord.

She smiled at the Doctor. "His role is actually more important than you or he realize."

"The four of us are lost in time," Will realized.

"What are you saying?" Jack asked.

"Think about it," Will told him. "The Last of the Time Lords. The woman created to be his ultimate counterpart, child of the Girl Who Waited and the Lone Centurion, sired in the heart of the TARDIS. Now reborn from a computer program created from memories."

"Dear me, I do believe I'm blushing," she teased.

Will ignored her and continued. "Jack, lost in time, yet a living fixed point in time. You don't even know what you'll become. Even your true self, known to but a few-"

"And yourself?" the Doctor cut him off before he revealed the secret known to the select few about the immortal.

"I'm a man from a world that should never have existed, and may not ever have, traveling with the lot of you? I'm just as much an anomaly as you lot. More, even."

"And this explains, what, exactly?" the Doctor inquired.

"Nothing," River replied.

"And everything," Will finished.

The Doctor slapped the table and stood up. "Enough games!" He eyed the two suspiciously. "I want to know who those people were and I want to know now!"

Will nodded to her. "You know them better."

"You'd think? Jack, Will, please leave us a moment," she asked. "This may take a while."

Will rose and motioned Jack to follow.

The Doctor watched River as she rose, crossed over to him, and pulled him to his feet. "Who were they, River? Who was that young woman we met on Barcelona?"

She kissed him.

He wasn't deterred. "No more games."

She smiled and pulled herself into him, his arms wrapped around her belly.

"Tell me."

She turned her head to look into his eyes. "Remember Demons Run?"

"What?"

"I am telling you."

He realized his hands were being held. His eyes went wide. "But we-? Not since you-? When are you-?"

"Just be quiet and enjoy the moment, my love."

Jack and Will stared at each other from across the control console. "So, what is she telling him in there?"

Will gave him a knowing smirk. "Something he hasn't been told in a very long time, I imagine."

"How do you know all this, anyway?" Jack pressed. "What makes you so special?"

Will tapped the side of his head. "I am Mentor Chiron," he replied. He knew the real truth lay in the jumbled memories an ancient being shared with him not that long ago.

Jack gave him a funny look. "What's that supposed to mean?" He thought about it a minute. "Wait, isn't that what you called yourself at the coronation?"

Will smiled. "Yes."

"So that means?"

"Yes."

"No, that's not what I was asking-?"

"Yes."

"You know what? Sometimes, you can be a real-"

"Yes!" he laughed.

Jack shook his head and leaned forward to kiss him. Will suddenly turned away. "What's wrong now?"

"What I know? What I've been told is happening?" he offered. He found himself unable to meet his lover's gaze. "I'm sorry, Jack. It's time to move on."

* * *

**A few minutes earlier**

"Are you ready?" Su asked, tinting her visor.

Her companion nodded and reached for his side of the hard drive. The pair carried it to the same station the younger Doctor had just left.

Taking the lead probe, he stuck it in the same port the Doctor had inserted River's Sonic. He nodded to Su, who flipped a switch.

"It's searching," she reported. After a long minute, she informed her associate, "It's locked on to her, but there's something not quite right?"

The man reached down and slammed his fist on the "recall" button. "We'll have to take the risk."

"We've only got one shot at this!" she protested.

Had their visors been clear, he would have looked her in the eye. "I know."

From somewhere nearby, they heard a familiar voice. "RUN! They're coming!"

"Double-check we have her!" the man ordered.

Su looked at the readouts. "We have someone. We won't know until-"

He started pulling the probe out.

"If you're wrong and we don't have her?" she asked.

"I know the risks!" he shouted and grabbed his side of the hard drive. "Now move!"

The pair ran for their craft, parked invisibly in front of the also invisible TARDIS. He spied a familiar face peeking between the two vehicles as he entered, fighting the temptation to say something. No sooner had they closed their door than Su took off her helmet and gave a concerned glance in the direction the sound had come from.

"Damn him, anyway," Abraxas growled as he removed his helmet. He switched on the external monitor and watched as Markham pulled Jack away and closed the blue doors.

Abraxas smiled and flipped his dematerialization circuit. He glanced to Su. "Now comes the hard part."

River Song had gotten used to her new life. Her friends knew it was as fake as she did, but made the most of it. For them, months had passed and bonds had grown between the quintet. She hadn't asked before, but soon found out that the two Daves also shared the same last name of Smith. She made a private joke out of it, promising to tell them when she was ready.

They also learned that Miss Evangelista was now as smart as the rest of the crew. She didn't care, as she was glad her face was no longer distorted, but there was a slight period of adjustment for her increased understanding after her brief period of genius intellect.

River had also taken on a maternal role over their protector, CAL, whom she insisted on calling Charlotte, and had even been given two more children for CAL to play with as siblings. It was exhausting, but she was growing used to it.

In her interactions with her adult companions, however, things were slightly awkward, as "Other Dave" and Anita continued their flirtation, while she still teased "Proper Dave" on occasion, allowing him to also flirt with Evangelista. For his part, the latter Dave was free to associate with anyone he chose and was finding himself drawn to River more and more over the other two ladies.

The three women would laugh about this over lunches and shopping trips in their imagined community, while the guys would also discuss it while hanging out at the pub watching the latest game. They found the Library also had an extensive catalog of various sporting matches from various worlds and would often bet against each other on games they barely understood for laughs. River placed her own bets when she found this out and would win more often than not. She claimed it was because she had heard of several games they hadn't and understood the basic rules and had nothing to do with her previous travels with the Doctor.

It was after another busy day of shopping and an evening at the pub that everything changed. River read a bedtime story to Charlotte and her "siblings" out of her diary, then headed to bed where (Proper) Dave awaited her. As they were dozing off, the house began to shake and CAL began screaming.

"They're coming!" Charlotte cried. "They're coming to take you all away!"

River and Dave looked at each other in confusion before she understood. "He's come back for me!"

Dave was flabbergasted. "What? Who?"

"The Doctor!" she screamed as the house began to fall away from them.

Dave hugged River close. "What about the rest of us?"

A look of shock and fear spread across her face. "I-I don't know!" she screamed as they were torn apart.

Everything went white.

The next thing she knew, River was in a hospital bed, monitors beeping. She sat up and looked around, but there was nothing to see apart from the monitors. There wasn't even a window. She fumbled for the call button. "Hello? Is there anyone there? Doctor?"

She was too lethargic to do much else but wait. She had no idea how long she had been there or where she was, actually.

After a few minutes, a young woman entered the room, wearing a dark pantsuit under a white lab coat. She looked faintly Asian. "How are you feeling?" she inquired.

"Like I've been through hell and back," River replied. "Where am I?"

The woman checked the monitors before answering. "Safe. I'll let the others know you're awake."

"The Doctor?" she inquired. "Where is he?"

Su smiled to herself. "Patience. We'll get you sorted right away."

She turned to leave, but stopped just outside the door and seemed to be whispering to someone. River could barely see his profile, but his shape was unmistakable.

"Doctor? Is it really you?" she called to him.

The familiar face that entered the room was slightly grim.

"Hello, sweetie," she smiled.

"I'm not the Doctor," he informed her. "There's also been another complication."

River's face froze. "What?"

He held up his hand. "I know who I look like, and there's a valid reason, but I can't tell you that now," he informed her. "I need to know who else you brought along with you?"

A confused expression crossed her face. "I'm sorry?"

"You brought someone back with you, but there's been a problem in the transference."

River's head swam as she tried to remember what had happened. "I was-I was reading to the children, then went to bed with-with Dave?" She subconsciously pressed the tip of her finger against her nose, implying his pug nose. "Then things get fuzzy? I remember the house shaking, a bright light-?"

"Dave?" he asked. "Who's Dave?"

"Which Dave, don't you mean?" she countered, the memories still returning. "There were two Dave's in there with us. I think I was with 'Proper Dave'? He's Caucasian, a bit on the heavy side?" she offered.

He nodded and laid a hand on hers. "Was he holding on to you when we grabbed you? When we pulled you out?"

"I-I don't understand?"

He reached over to the monitor and grabbed a mirror that lay on top of it. "There was a slight miscalculation in the transference process," he repeated and handed the mirror to her.

River looked at her face in amazement. "I'm... younger?"

He nodded. "Your age seems to have stabilized for now," he agreed. "Your friend's-?"

"What happened?"

"He's having problems keeping to one age," he finally admitted. "We're trying to stabilize him, now."

"Doctor-"

He cut her off. "I'm not him. I'll never be him."

She took a good look at him, studying his face. "No, you aren't but- Do I know you?" She reached out to touch his cheek. She could see a variety of emotions play across his face.

He turned away to leave the room, but paused at the door. "Not yet," he told her before leaving.

"Excuse me?"

"What did you tell him after the Crash of the Byzantium?" he asked. She shook her head in confusion, the memories were still hazy. "It can't be told, it has to be lived," he reminded her before leaving the room.

She stared after him in wonder. He looked so much like the burly ginger Doctor that had taken her to Darillium, but he wasn't. The demeanor, the man's presence was different. He obviously knew her, but she had no clue who he really was.

Whoever he was, she could only trust him to help her friend Dave. Had he been the only other one to be freed from the Library's computer core? Why not the others?

And most importantly, where was the Doctor?

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED...


	2. Ch23 Prestige

Doctor Who: ALBION - Countdown

Chapter 23 - The Prestige

Disclaimer - I don't own nothing or nobody you know/recognize. Doctor Who is intellectual property of the BBC, afaik.

Characters: Gleeson!Doctor, Markham, River, Jack, Clyde, Luke, OCs

* * *

"So what do you say, boys?" the young man calling himself Abe asked the teens, fingering the scarf looped around his neck.

"Who are you?" Clyde Langer demanded. "How come K9 acts like he knows you?"

"Because we're old friends," he replied, then seemed to reconsider. "I think? We will be?"

Clyde screwed his face up in confusion. "What?"

"Timey-Wimey, et cetera, ad nauseum," the man sighed, seemingly annoyed, waving the end of his scarf. Then he seemed to notice the other young man in the room. "What about you, Luke?"

"My mother is dead and you waltz in here like you own the place and demand we go with you?" Luke Smith accused. "We don't even know you!"

The young man calling himself Abe smiled. "That never stopped your mother, did it?"

"What do you know of my mother?" he shot back. The scorn in his voice surprised Clyde.

"Chill, dude, I'm here in peace," Abe replied, holding up his hands. "I just wanted to see if you wanted to tour time and space."

"What?" Clyde gasped in surprise. "You're the Doctor now?"

"No. He's not," Luke informed his friend. "Are you?"

Abe regarded the youth coolly. "No, I'm not, and I never claimed to be that-" He bit his tongue before he gave himself fully away. He choked his momentary anger away. "I never demanded anything of you, Luke. I merely offered you the chance to explore."

Clyde jumped to a conclusion. "If you're not the Doctor, then that must mean-?" He stopped and looked to Luke. "Uh, what does this mean?"

Luke stared at the man. "You have a TARDIS?"

Abe nodded. "Yep."

"Are you a Time Lord?"

Abe shrugged. "I never was much for titles."

"Like _Master_?" he accused.

Abe gave him a confused look. "Who?"

"My mother told me all about him," Luke informed his intruder. "He was the Doctor's deadliest enemy."

Abe considered this for a moment, then pointed out, "If he was so deadly, how come the Doctor still lives?"

Luke had no idea how to reply. "He's got you there," Clyde admitted.

"So, are you guys willing to come along for the journey of your young lives or not?" Abe offered.

Clyde turned to his friend excitedly, then saw the look on his face. "I think not, Abe. Or whoever you are," Luke replied.

Abe shrugged and stood up from the couch. "Fair enough. I thought I'd be nice and extend my sympathies on the loss of your mother, at any rate." He extended his hand.

Luke gave a cautious thanks and took the man's hand.

"Who are you, anyway?" Clyde pressed.

Abe fiddled with his scarf length as he walked toward the door. "Just a friend." He glanced down to the metal dog. "K9, be sure and take good care of these two, okay?"

"Yes, Master," he replied, wiggling his radar dish ears.

He opened the door to leave, then stopped and turned back to the pair. "One more thing?" He fished something out of his vest pocket and held up the metal rod. "I was never here."

The flash of blue light erased the memory of the last twenty minutes of the two boys' memories.

"I'm sorry, guys, but I can't let you tell him I was here," he said as he moved the two towards the couch. He then turned to K9 and knelt. "That goes for you, too, little buddy," he said and flashed his device again. The android went dark.

Standing to leave, he said to no one in particular. "My apologies, Sarah Jane."

* * *

The newly young woman called River Song stood outside the room of her friend. His room had a window hers lacked. "Will he be okay?" she inquired of the woman beside her.

"His physiology seems to have stabilized, and, like yourself, he seems to be younger than he was before?" she explained.

River examined his face from afar. Gone was the pudgy man with the split pug nose. In his place was a man barely out of his teens with a somewhat muscular build with a slight indentation at the tip of his nose. She could only imagine this was what he looked like back when he was originally this age.

"What becomes of us, now?"

"Abe says you have to be somewhere, as soon as you're up to it," Su replied. "As for Dave? I have no idea."

"Who are you people, anyway?" River pressed. "Does the Doctor know about you? What you've done?"

The corner of Su's mouth gave a slight hint of a smile. "Oh, he knows what we've done, but not who we are. Not yet."

"Spoilers?" River asked, a hint of exasperation in her voice.

"Spoilers," Su echoed.

A young woman with short blonde hair approached the pair. She wore a navy jacket, possibly leather at first glance, over a red top and green jeans with camo hightops. "He wants to see you," she informed them. River noticed she seemed to have a rigid demeanor, almost military, in fact.

"Thanks, honey," Su answered and motioned River to follow the other woman.

"Honey?" she inquired.

Su chuckled. "It's complicated."

"Isn't it always the way when he's involved?"

"It didn't use to be, back in the old days," she mused.

River looked to her companion as they walked. "How long have you known him?"

Su gave her a sad smile. "All my life. Yet there are times I barely know him at all."

River stopped. "Are you his-? _Our-?_"

"Sometimes I wonder," she replied as she held the door open for River.

Waiting for them was the mystery man who looked so much like her beloved would the next time she saw him. He was burly and ginger, his eyes as blue as the TARDIS. He looked at her with so much sorrow. Whatever he wanted of her, it wasn't going to be good. He motioned to the seat across the table from him.

"Busy little bee, aren't you?" she noted. "Barely time to spare for a shave."

He absentmindedly scratched at the growing orange scruff under his chin with one hand as he pushed a tablet across to her with the other. "I need you to agree to do this."

"What makes you think I'll agree to anything you offer?" she countered. "You won't even tell me who you all are."

"M- ...River, please," he urged, pushing the tablet again with his fingertip.

She caught the slip and her eyes narrowed. She leaned forward. "Who are you? You remind me of him so much, but you aren't. Why is that?"

"Agree to this and you'll find out," he said.

She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. "And if I don't?"

"You will."

"What makes you so sure?"

His fist tightened in anger. He let out a calming breath. "Because if you didn't, we wouldn't be here."

She studied his face, the barely controlled anger he was trying to hide. Trying and failing.

"Tell me your name. She called you Abe?"

He stared her in the eye. She could see it twitch slightly as he replied. "Abraxas."

"And why must I do this?"

"Because you already have," he told her. "In my past, you already have."

"In your past?" she repeated. "What am I to you?"

"I can't tell you. Not yet. Not now."

She reached across the table and tried to grab his hand. He pulled back out of her reach.

"You're scared of me?" It was a statement, not a question.

"No."

"Then answer me, who are you?" she pressed. "What am I to you?"

He turned his head away. "My future."

"Your past is my future, your first to my last," she pondered. "Now where have I heard that before?" she mused.

He turned his head slightly back to her, looking at her almost ashamed. "Yes."

"Then if you're not the Doctor-?" He shook his head, but the way he did it told her all she needed. "Oh, sweetie!" she realized, fingers trying to cover the surprise in her voice.

"Don't!" he shied away from her.

The other blonde entered the room. "I told you to let me handle this, kid," she seemed to scold her associate.

"It won't matter, soon enough," he told her. He cast another nervous glance to River. "Will it?"

"One last question?"

He nodded.

"How much will I remember?"

"That's not for me to decide," he informed her as she saw someone else enter the room.

He was an elderly man. Guessing his true age was nearly impossible, given her life and those she associated with, but he still looked somewhat familiar. "Hello, River," he greeted as the blonde helped him into the seat next to her.

"Do I...do _we_ know each other?"

"You met me a long time ago, and you will meet me again, soon enough," he told her.

She glanced from him to the other two. "That's the problem with time travel, isn't it?" she asked. "Finding the right tense."

"You trusted me with something very precious to you once," the old man informed her. "I only ask you trust me this once, so what has been can be again."

"Says who?"

"A very old friend of ours," he replied, a chuckle getting lost in his throat.

"How old?"

"Older than you knew him," he said. "Older than anyone else in the universe."

She mouthed the word. He nodded.

"He put you up to this?"

The old man nodded. "Only part of what must be so you can be with _him_," he informed her.

"All this subterfuge and secrets, one could almost get lost in what was really going on, don't you think?" she chuckled.

The blonde and the old man smiled, Abraxas turned away, hiding his reaction.

She looked back to the old man. "You trust these people?"

"I trust them as much as you will one day trust me," he replied.

"What will I trust you to do for me, one day? Can you tell me?" she inquired as he took her hands.

"What is the most precious thing to you, River Song?"

"The Doctor?" It was the answer she thought he wanted.

He smiled and shook his head. "More than that."

His thumbs ran over the backs of her hands. She could feel a tingling sensation. "Will this hurt?"

"You won't remember a thing."

"Are you sure?"

"I'd say trust me, but then you won't remember any of this."

"Will?" she asked nervously.

He smiled as the jolt ran through her and the blackness overtook. "And then you forgot."

She slumped into her chair as another approached. "We must hurry," the silver sphere said as Ood Sigma clicked his communicator on.

"She'll be alright?" Abraxas asked.

The blonde woman rubbed her hand across his shoulders. "Of course she will, little brother."

He looked from River up to her, tears in his eyes. "Never forget, time can be rewritten."

"Not this time," she assured him. "It's already happened as far as he's concerned." She nodded toward the old man.

"Then it's time to put the plan into effect?"

"Yes," Sigma answered him.

Abraxas gave a heavy sigh. "You lot better not run off and leave us," he warned.

"Hey, you're going to be Governor of a planet, why would we leave all those perks behind?" she teased. She then crossed to River's side to help Sigma lift her up, but Abraxas followed her.

"Let me," he ordered, lifting the limp form with ease. "I'm going to be babysitting her for a while, anyway." He looked down and laughed at the irony, then kissed River on the forehead as Sigma held the door for him to exit.

The blonde stayed behind to help the old man up. "How did she know your name?" she asked.

"She remembered me," he told her. "After all this time, she remembered me."

"Then we'll have to be more careful these next few months, won't we?" she replied as they stepped into the hall.

"Yes, especially your brothers," he agreed looking after the trio ahead. "The Doctor will be here soon enough."

"Where are we hiding her, again?"

The old man's face tightened up at the memory. "Barcelona."

* * *

"You're sure?" the Doctor inquired.

"Yeah," Will coughed. "If you haven't noticed, every time I get in this contraption of yours, I don't feel well."

The Time Lord eyed him for a long moment. "You're the first to complain about that."

Will stifled another cough and shrugged. "Think it's from coming from another world?"

The Doctor flipped a control and shook his head. "I've had people from parallel worlds before, no one has gotten..." He paused, searching for a word.

"Time sick?" Jack offered.

The three men looked at each other, no one offering a better explanation. Will finally shrugged in agreement.

"Leave it to you and your strays, Jack," the Doctor griped, adjusting another control.

"Oi! I am not a stray," Will countered, but the Time Lord ignored him. He saw Jack give the Time Lord a dirty look.

"Where to then?" he finally asked.

"I have an idea," Jack offered. Will looked at him curiously.

"How about I drop you boys off where I found you and let you decide from there?"

"What did you have in mind, Jack?" Will pressed.

"You were Torchwood right?" he asked. Will nodded. "How would you like to be Torchwood again?"

"_Jack_," the Time Lord warned.

"I told you, Jack, you need to move on. We both do."

"No, no, listen, hear me out," he pleaded. "Torchwood, at least as it used to be, it's gone, it's over. I can't put Gwen and her family in danger like that, anymore."

"Most sensible thing you've ever said, Jack," the Doctor quipped, adjusting another control.

Jack ignored him. "You and I? We have no other attachments here, we can rebuild, start over."

"Not with you, Jack. I'm sorry. I can't."

"What else are you going to do?" he countered. "Sit around, moping for a life you can never return to?"

Will turned on him. "Do you know what I've been up to the last few years since I arrived here?" he demanded. "That's right, _years_. I made a new life for myself, Jack. I had a new job writing computer code. Just like I wrote for the Pandorica and the Library with the Doctor," he exclaimed, fighting back another cough. "My world is so far ahead of yours, your so-called internet security was a laugh. I made money writing new code that had big money knocking at my door, Jack. Bloody Hades, even your Torchwood One had a file on me! Did you know that?" he accused. "Did you know your own secret group had files on me long before you ever met me?"

Jack was taken aback. The organization had grown too big. He knew he had lost any idea of control a long time ago. Long before Canary Wharf decimated the organization and left him in control of his own, small group, once more. "No. No, I didn't. I'm sorry."

"Are you, Jack?" he asked. "What were you going to do, anyway, recruit another group of innocents to die?"

"_Gentlemen_!" the Doctor shouted. The last comment had hit too close to home for him. "Jack, if Will wants to move on, then let him. Will, where do you want me to drop you?"

Jack and Will scowled at each other from across the control console. Markham finally said "Home."

"Compromise?" Jack offered.

"No."

"Torchwood is still open-"

"No."

Jack nodded toward the Doctor. "You've been there, in both worlds."

"Not my call, Jack."

"It's the Archives," he told them.

"Archives? What Archives?" the Doctor inquired, curiosity piqued.

"Torchwood Archives, previously known as the MacLeish Estate and where Queen Victoria got the Torchwood name from," he explained. "Interested?"

Will rolled his eyes. "I'm not working with you, not any more, Jack." He wiped his brow, noting the heat.

"You don't have to, Will," he continued. "You'd be totally autonomous, free to do what you want, and-"

"And at your beck and call? No thanks," he decided.

"Will, please hear me out."

"We're done, Jack."

"Will you at least see the place before you decide it's not for you?" he begged. "You can still do your programming on the side!"

"I'm too old for this life, Jack," he started, then held his hands up. "And yes, I am taking into account both of your true ages, I'm talking about mine."

"Will you at least-"

A new voice cut him off. "Shut up, Jack. It's his decision."

All three men looked up to see River descending the stairs. She was now clad in her denim jeans and jacket. Two of them were taken aback by her sudden appearance, the third was not.

"This is none of your concern, River," the Doctor warned.

"I know, sweetie," she said, stalking past him and running a finger along his back. "You, shut up," she repeated as she rounded past the immortal. "You, come with me," she ordered Will as she kept walking, headed toward the kitchen.

Will followed as he was told. Jack grabbed his wrist as he passed. "Let go, Jack," he grumbled, pulling his hand free.

Once in the kitchen, River motioned him to a chair across from her. "What are your plans, then?" she inquired.

"Go back to the life I tried to rebuild," he said, hanging his head in his hands.

"Do what he says," she urged.

"Who, Jack? Pfft."

"Will, if I've ever asked you for a favor-"

"You haven't."

She smiled. "I am now."

"What's the catch?"

"All in due time," she assured him. "When the time does come, you won't be alone."

He looked up at her. "What are you talking about?" Before she could say it, he warned, "No spoilers."

"Don't you remember? What he told you?"

He considered her a moment before answering. She wasn't referring to the pair in the other room. "Not all of it, not all the time," he admitted. "I just remember I have to leave him now."

"Yes. There's a reason for that," she smiled.

"I'm tired, River."

"I know, sweetie."

He did a double take. "You only call him that."

"So far."

He gave a heavy sigh. "Why should I do this?"

"Because I need you to."

Will shook his head then leaned back in his chair. "How long?"

She played coy. "Whatever do you mean, you cheeky boy?"

"Save it. I've been there twice, now. I know the signs," he informed her. "You wouldn't tell him unless he was the one, which leaves one question: How long?"

"You're good," she smiled. She tapped her chin twice.

* * *

The two men stood outside the estate. "How in Hades did I let you talk me into this?"

"My natural charm?" Jack quipped. "Come on, I'll give you the grand tour, see if we can't find Archie lurking about."

"I thought he was in Glasgow?"

"Was," Jack smirked.

The next few months for Will were relatively quiet. Jack would call, inquiring about some such creature or other, but otherwise, he was on his own as caretaker of the centuries old estate.

He passed the time walking about the town that had grown up nearby. It wasn't much, even by small town standards, but it was growing on him. One afternoon, that changed as he sat on a bench, watching the passersby.

A young woman with faint Asian features sat next to him. "You've got to love small towns, huh?" she asked idly. "Everybody knows everybody and their business."

He gave her a curious look.

"I've asked around. Nobody seems to know you, or where you came from," she teased. "Just that you're living in the old MacLeish estate. Is that true?"

He looked away. "People talk too bloody much."

"People do as they will," she said and promptly stood to leave. He glanced back to her. She stayed long enough only to smile at him before leaving.

"Tell Jack I'm not interested," he called after her.

She took him by surprise when she whispered in his ear, "Jack hasn't met me yet."

He spun to look behind him, but there was no one there.

He thought he saw her a week later, but when he turned to look again, she was gone, if she had ever been there to begin with.

The week after, he could have sworn he felt a finger lightly brush the back of his neck as he sat there, reading. Once again, there was no one to be seen when he turned to look. A week after that, someone had graffitied "He is coming" on a nearby wall, well within sight of someone sitting on that same bench. On the walk home that night, he saw additional messages: "RUE?" with the 'E' in red, and "Density Will Come 4 U" which he had to laugh at.

He was enjoying another quiet night in the estate library when everything changed. She appeared in a flash of light then stumbled toward him and groaned, placing a hand over her full belly. "Help me!" she cried, falling into his arms.

He helped her into a chair. "River? Are you alright? Where is the Doctor?"

She shook her head. "There's no time! The baby's coming!" she huffed.

He looked down to see she was bigger than he realized. "How do I call him?" he asked, trying to stay calm for her sake.

"The baby's coming now!" she exclaimed, grunting as another spasm seized her body. She grabbed his arm tight. "Will, you've had kids, you can help me through this!"

"I was only a bystander!" he exclaimed, the memories of his own boys being born raced through his head. He was starting to panic, trying to remember what his Martha and Harry said as they helped Tosh deliver them. "Wait, that's it! Martha's still a doctor, here, isn't she?"

"No time!" River exclaimed, bearing down.

"I'll be right back!" he yelled as he ran from the room for his quarters and mobile. He was already racing back to the library when the line picked up. "Jack! I need Martha here ten minutes ago!" he yelled into the phone. "Medical emergency!"

He saw River glare at him. "Not Jack!" she huffed.

"It's Jack or do it yourself!" he yelled back. He stopped and stared, embarrassed. "Sorry! I'm sorry!" he blurted. "Towels! We need towels!" he realized and began to run back out of the room. "Are you sure you want to have that here?" he asked her.

"It's a little late for that!" she yelled back.

"I meant, don't you want a bed or something?" he clarified.

Her reply was a scream as another contraction gripped her. He ran for the bathroom to get the towels and a basin of hot water. When he came back, he wasn't that surprised to see she had company.

Jack stood by as Martha Jones checked her vitals. "So far so good," she announced as he ran back in.

"This takes me back," Jack smirked, fiddling with his strap.

"What are you doing?" Will asked, pushing past and tending to the women.

"Trying to call the Doc, what do you think?" Jack snarked.

"No! It's too dangerous!" River countered. "I can't risk it!"

The other three looked at each other in confusion. "Why not?" Martha asked. "I mean, he has the right-?"

"NO!" River repeated.

"Too late," Jack announced. He looked to the back corner where a familiar flashing light and grinding noise coalesced into an ancient blue box.

"_Where is she_?" the burly ginger bellowed, erupting from the double doors.

"And what sort of time do you call this?" she asked as he knelt beside her.

"Where have _you_ been?" he countered gruffly before smiling. "I told you I would fight another army of Daleks, Cybermen, Clerics, and Autons to be here," he kissed her hand. He glanced behind him. "Boys, help get her up."

"Where do you think you're going?" Martha objected.

"Taking her to a proper medical facility," he informed his friend.

"You're going to be a father in a matter of seconds!" she declared. "As an actual _medical_ doctor, I can not allow you to move my patient!"

Any further argument was quelled by River's scream.

"Can we at least get her in the TARDIS?" he asked. "I already have a delivery room prepared, just in case."

Martha hesitated, then looked to River. "Do you think you can make it inside?"

"Try and stop me," she huffed and tried to rise. The Doctor and Jack helped her along as Will and Martha scrambled to gather up the towels and her equipment to follow.

Once inside, Will and Jack were surprised to see the Doctor had made a few modifications. There was now a ramp leading up to the main hallway, where K9 stood waiting for his master and mistress. The divan sat at the bottom of the ramp and River insisted to let her catch her breath as she was feeling another contraction coming. When it passed, she nodded and allowed the pair to help her up and into the first room. Inside, Martha found the Doctor had an advanced medical facility as he and Jack helped River onto the delivery table. She quickly familiarized herself with what equipment he had stocked.

"Somebody was ready to be a father," Jack noted, nodding to the blue wooden basinet in one corner.

"Shut up, Jack," he warned.

"How old is that thing?" he pressed.

"Shut. Up. Jack."

"It was his," River huffed, feeling another contraction building. She and the Doctor shared a private look.

Jack and Will looked at each other in disbelief. Even Martha stopped to look at the cradle then at the Time Lord. "But you said you were-?" she began.

The Doctor was silently glad for the scream River let out, letting him avoid answering their questions. Martha started barking orders, ordering the trio what to do.

"Wait! Wait!" River suddenly shouted, biting back the pain. "Where's Amy? She should be here!"

Martha looked to the Doctor. "Your call, but I'm not sure what moving the TARDIS will do at this point. I'd caution against it."

The couple looked to Jack. "Right. On it. Where is she again?"

River waved him over and adjusted his vortex manipulator. "Why don't I do this outside, just in case?" he suggested.

"Hurry!" River huffed, hoping her mother would arrive in time.

Jack nodded and stepped out of the room. A moment later, he stepped back in. "Uh, guys? We might have a problem? The TARDIS is already moving?"

"What?" the Doctor exclaimed and glared at him, then Will.

"I didn't touch anything!" Will protested.

"No one touched anything," Martha agreed. "We were all focused on River."

"Jack, go in there and land her!" he ordered.

"I already tried that," he said, "the controls didn't respond."

The Doctor looked toward the door, uncertain what to do. River screamed again and Martha exclaimed, "It's crowning!" All thoughts of the control room left him as he focused on the event happening in front of him.

The other two looked on, slightly embarrassed, but also honored to be present at the moment. Will was ready to hand Martha anything she asked for, while Jack stayed by the door, keeping an ear out towards the control room.

A minute later, Martha announced, "It's a boy!" The Doctor kissed an exhausted River before going to cut the cord. Jack congratulated the new parents then slipped out to check the control room while Will went to help Martha.

As Jack entered the main room, he realized the craft had settled down. He was checking the controls when the front door opened.

"Doctor? River?" a red-headed woman called out before spying Jack. "You're Jack, right?" she asked, recalling him from the wedding.

"Hello, Amy," he smiled and hooked a thumb over his shoulder. "First door on your right."

"What's going on?"

"I'm not going to ruin the surprise for you," he said, smirking and pretending to adjust the controls.

"Fine, be that way," she sniffed and made a point of brushing past him as she headed back into the room he had directed her. Her jaw dropped as she entered. "River? What?"

"Hello, Mum," she smiled before another contraction seized her. Martha and the Doctor turned as one and ran back to her from the nursery station.

"We've got another one!" Martha announced. "Why didn't you say she was carrying twins?"

"I was busy!"

"All this medical equipment and you didn't-?" Martha began, but decided it wasn't an argument worth pursuing.

"What are you doing here?" the Doctor asked Amy as they flanked her daughter, each grabbing a hand.

"The TARDIS landed in my backyard!" she screamed as River yelled out again. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"We were busy!" River said, bearing down once more.

"We've already got one you missed!" the Doctor informed her.

"I can see that!" Amy yelled back, getting caught up in the excitement.

"It's crowning!" Martha announced.

The Doctor gripped his wife's hand tight as she squeezed both his and her mother's for all she was worth, allowing nature to take it's course. Amy yelped in pain and suspense.

"It's another boy!" Martha informed them.

The Doctor kissed River again. "You did great, sweetie." He then looked up to Amy. "I cut the last one, do you want to take this one?"

Amy smiled, kissed her daughter "I love you!" and did the honor of cutting her grandson free from his mother. Only after did she get a good look at her first grandson. "They're all pink and wrinkly!" she cried. She turned back to her daughter. "I don't remember you being this wrinkly when you were born!" she laughed.

They let Martha do her job, with an assist from Will, who let Amy present her daughter with her first son, then the Doctor brought over his second twin. "They're so cute!" Amy beamed. "What are you naming them?"

River and the Doctor shared amused expressions. River looked at the elder ginger one, "Theta Alistair Roricus," then turned to the brunette, "and Adric Ianto Stewart."

"Theta and Adric?" Amy repeated. She looked to the Doctor. "You didn't lose a pub bet, did you? Please tell me you didn't lose a pub bet," she teased in her whingey voice.

River chuckled as the Doctor fumed. "No, Pond, I did not lose a pub bet. Each of those names have significance to us!" he announced and began ticking off the reasons on his fingers. "Theta was my Academy nickname. Alistair was the Brigadier's given name. River suggested Roricus after her father, as you should well know! Then we have Adric, one of my former companions. Ianto speaks for itself, and Stewart was the Brigadier's last name!"

"It's still a mouthful," Amy retorted, feigning distaste just to annoy him.

The Doctor was about to say something, but Jack reentering the room caught his eye. He had a curious expression on his face. It was obvious he had overheard as his face suddenly broke into a grin.

The Doctor turned to River. "Is it too late to make it Adric Jamie?" he asked.

"Like hell, old man," Jack said, pulling the Time Lord into a hug and kissing him on the cheek with a whispered "thank you." He released his friend and turned to River, "Congratulations!" he kissed her on the cheek as well.

Off to the side, Will kept his silence over this. The Doctor caught his sad smile before he turned away.

"Let's say we let the girls fawn over the new arrivals?" the Doctor suggested. The two men followed him out. And they flanked the control console on three sides. "Listen, Jack-" he began, but was cut short.

"Godfather? I'd be honored!" he blurted out. "It's been ages since I was a father myself," he admitted. "I didn't get to see her that often, but-"

"Jack, shut up." He looked across to Will. "In fact, why don't you get us all some drinks?"

Jack got the hint and left the two men alone. "Anything you want to say?"

Will was leaning over the console. "I miss my boys."

"You're not mad about us not naming them after you?"

He looked at the Time Lord, confused. "Why would I?"

The Doctor stole a quick glance toward the kitchen. "Adric _Ianto_, maybe?" he asked.

"That's between you and River," he said. "This whole thing just has me remembering what happened when my boys were born. I miss my wife. I miss my sons," he sighed. "Is that so wrong?"

"No. No, it isn't," he admitted. "I'm sorry."

Will shrugged.

After a long moment, he said, "There is something we wanted to discuss with you."

"Um, hello? Doctor?" Both men turned to see Rory Williams poking his head in.

"We'll talk later," the Doctor said and turned to his ancient young friend and father-in-law. "Rory the Roman! Have I got a surprise for you!" he beamed.

It was several hours before the Time Lord and the Time Displaced Man were able to have a private moment, once more.

"Will? What I was saying, earlier?"

"I told you, I'm not mad or jealous or anything," he assured the Time Lord. "I'm happy for you both. Really."

"Good, because what I want to ask you? It's a big favor," he cautioned. "Really big."

"Godfather?" Will asked as he took a swig of his champagne. It was the last of the second bottle the men and Amy had gone through, although it was mostly Jack and Rory. Martha had allowed herself a half flute, but denied River any. Amy still snuck her daughter a good swallow while she thought Martha's back was turned.

"Not quite."

Markham eyed the other man. "Then what is it?"

"You know life for me isn't easy, traveling back and forth and all," he admitted. "My relationship with River even more so. Timey-wimey, wobbly-wobbly, out of order and all."

"And?"

"I'm constantly facing Daleks, Cybermen, Sontarans, or worse."

Will shook his head. "Skip to the end."

"It's dangerous out there for me. It will be even worse if someone knew about my new children. We need someone to watch the kids, make sure they have a decent youth, a decent education."

"Mentor Chiron."

The Doctor smiled. "Teacher, protector, guardian to a great many men."

"Six months."

"Excuse me?"

"Do I hear a full year?" Will threatened before explaining. "You spend at least six months _minimum_ with your family before you dump the boys off on me. Plus, you have to visit a _minimum_ four times a year, or the deal is off."

The Doctor eyed him. "What kind of man do you think I am?"

"One who gets bored easy," he countered, then tapped his head. "I know things about you, Time Lord. That is not a threat. Do we have a deal?"

"You drive a hard bargain, Markham."

"Is there any other choice?"

"There's always a choice, Will."

"I wasn't asking," he said, emptying his glass.

"Thank you, Will," the Doctor said and hugged him.

Will returned the hug, but his face masked his inner thoughts. He knew this day had been coming for some time now. What Boe had shared with him on Barcelona only confirmed it.

* * *

TBC...


	3. Ch24 Intermission

Doctor Who: ALBION - Countdown

Chapter 24 - Intermission

Disclaimer - I don't own nothing or nobody you know/recognize. Doctor Who is intellectual property of the BBC, afaik.

Characters: Gleeson!Doctor, Markham, River, Jack, OCs

* * *

It had been a month since Will Markham had last seen the Doctor and River, yet he kept a watchful eye out for that familiar blue box everywhere he went. He had spent most of that time setting up a nursery for the twins for their eventual stay. He actually feared the Time Lord would spend the agreed upon time with his family in a different time, then drop in unrepentantly on him to foster the boys. He kept in touch with Amy and Rory just in case. Luckily, neither had heard from the errant Time Lord or their daughter, which upset the young grandmother, who claimed she was missing out on the early days of her grandsons.

He was talking to her on his mobile in the shops, discussing what color paint she thought the boys' room should be when he was struck on the hip by an errant shopping trolley. He did a double-take upon seeing who it was. She was wearing the same dark pantsuit he first saw her in.

"I'll have to call you back," he lied. "I just ran into a friend. We'll discuss this later," he told her before ringing off. He looked his attacker in the eye. "Who are you? Why do you keep following me?"

She smiled. "I thought you might like some help painting."

The color drained from his face. "What?"

She pointed into her cart. "What do you think? Not blue enough?"

He glanced down to see several cans of specially mixed blue paint. The same hue as a certain box. "Who are you?"

"A friend," she smirked. "Who is also buying lunch and will tell you everything if you come along."

He hesitated, expecting a trap for his friends. "I'm busy."

"What you are, William, is a bad liar," she replied. "Come on, my treat."

He was tempted to run, but she was acting way too familiar with him. He pointed at the cans. "Why that shade?"

She turned the cart around to leave. "I'd tell you at lunch, but I think you already know," she winked.

He followed her through the check-out, keeping a cautious eye on her as she flirted with the young man cashing her out. She offered to pay for his, but he refused. He lost sight of her while he paid, but soon found her waiting for him by his car.

"And what the bloody Hades do you think you're doing?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I haven't got a ride."

"Well then, you'd be right out, lugging those paint cans back to wherever, then, wouldn't you?" he accused.

"A- I bought them for you. B- how do you think I knew you'd be here to begin with?" she countered.

"You tracked me? How?" he asked even as he realized the answer. "My cash card, wasn't it? Note to self, change my codes. Again."

"Will-"

"So, you're definitely a time traveler, then," he said as he loaded his supplies into his car boot.

"Do you want the paint?" she asked.

"Not really," he told her. "What makes you think I want that color anyway?"

"Like you said, I'm a time traveler. I already know what color it's going to be."

"So what am I having for lunch, then?"

She smiled.

Half an hour later, they were dining in a small bistro.

"So are you going to tell me your name, or do I have to guess?" he asked.

"Su," she smiled. "Su Smith."

"And how is it you know mine?" he inquired, eyeing her.

"You know us time travelers, never meeting in the right order."

"So this isn't our first date?"

She considered her answer a moment. "Yes and no."

"My first, your latest?" he offered. "If you know who I am, then you know I'm already married."

She grew quiet. "Yes. I know about Tosh. And Jack," she admitted. "You don't say much about Jackson or Charles, though."

"Charles was my cousin," he replied coolly. "My best friend, my liege, and the closest thing I had to a brother." She nodded. "Jack, you obviously know, so what is there to explain? We were each other's rebound."

"I don't know Jack all that well," she admitted. "Well, not Jack as you know him."

"Boe?"

"Boe," she echoed. There was no need to explain further between the two of them. "And Jackson?"

"That's... not a tale to be told in public."

"That racy, huh?" she teased, then saw the dark expression on his face. "Why don't we get dessert to go?" she offered. "You can tell me back at the estate."

"You're pretty sure of yourself, aren't you?"

"I know you refused to tell Jack about that, um, _birthmark_," she winked.

"Check please!"

Two hours later, they had almost finished off their first bottle of wine. Su had kept her intake to a minimum, but Will needed it to open up to her. She had made it blatantly obvious that she would know him in his future. He wondered if it was because of that that he felt comfortable around her? Or was it because she reminded him of Tosh?

He looked at her and could tell she had seen the sadness in him before. He wondered how much she really knew him.

"You were asking about Jackson?" She squeezed his hand and nodded. "When I first met him, he was working for my father, for Torchwood. Our Torchwood was the Royal Guard, you could say. No one knew who he really was then, not even Jacks, himself. He was already over a century old, by then, de-aged once more by that bastard I knew as Geoffrey Greaves. You would know him better as Jack Harkness. Well, _a twisted version_ of Jack, at any rate," he explained.

"Anyway, I was fresh out of the Academy and eager to prove myself, to my father and the rest of, Hades, bloody everybody," he chuckled. "Unfortunately, we found ourselves in the middle of a bad one, with a high priority. Some _sicko_ had been stealing kids. You don't want to know what for." He wandered off for a moment before shaking off the memory. "Dad thought I was too young, too fresh, so he put me on research, paperwork. Jacks argued he couldn't coddle me, then we found...we found the first one."

Will choked up again at the thought. Su waited patiently for him to continue.

"Dad tried to maintain his composure, but the case became his entire life the next few months. He wouldn't admit it, but Jacks and I could see it eating away at him. He tried to get Gran to read it, but she was already losing it. I think they call it senility or Alzheimer's here? He always said she had the gift like no other he had met besides her grandmother, Gwyneth. Unfortunately, she lived through the wars, and it took a toll on her. I had been too busy with the Academy to realize how bad she had gotten by then. Dad never really had it, the gift, but would have the occasional insight. He said it was nothing like when she would have her visions back when he was a lad," he explained. "He was glad that I had it, but there was also a sadness in him. He said I would understand, someday, that my Gran Gwyneth had said I would do something special, but she never told him what." He looked at Su and chuckled. "I guess I'll tell you about that later, huh?" he said, recalling meeting her as a girl while traveling back in time on his world with the Doctor. He had left his great-grandparents and their friend in the care of Jackson before they left.

"This is going somewhere?" Su asked.

"Right. We lost Gran during the case, which only drove Dad harder. Jackson and I tried to help pick up the slack, but he shut us out. He decided he had to solve the case, himself. It nearly cost him his life."

"What happened?"

"The long hours, living the case...the drinking. It was wearing him down," he explained. "He thought he had one break and nearly killed himself chasing down some perp which turned out to be a false lead. Jackson finally stepped in and pulled some strings, made him take some time off. I guess in hindsight, it was Greaves who made him do that?" He paused only to drain his glass and refill it once more. "In the meantime, we had six more kids gone."

Su gasped, not realizing the full scope of the case.

"Jackson took over, made me his second. We were determined to solve it even more every time another child was reported missing. It was stupid, really, the big break. In all the time we were working together, Jacks and I became attached at the hip, and one night we were blowing off steam and spitballing when one of the other guys, Jonesy, misheard something we said and it turned out to be the most random of coincidences." He grew quiet again for a moment.

"You found the kids?"

He took another large gulp of wine. "I went to talk to this guy, ask him to clarify something he had said when- was it the third or fourth kid went missing? When I got to his place, the front door had been left ajar, so I called out to him, but no one answered. There was this hill behind his place, it was a row of houses, you know? There were these crows in a tree, something about it just felt off. Why were they all in one area and not spread out, you know? Then they got all jumpy, like something disturbed them in the tree. Jacks was supposed to have met me there, but he was running late. I was a fool for not waiting for back-up, but like I said, I knew I had to prove myself on this case."

He paused once more and drained his glass again. He reached for the bottle and missed. Su could see his hands shaking, so she poured him another glass and handed it to him. He stared into it.

"I was too damn young and proud and stubborn. I could have been killed," he said. "I went over the hill and found this old barn. I didn't know whose it was, but there were more crows perched on top of it and a tilled garden beside it. Any other time, I would have dismissed it, but those birds? They drew me in. They were showing me the way."

He put the glass down without taking a sip. "I went in and didn't see anything at first. Two of the crows had made it inside, sitting up in the rafters, cawing. They were calling me, I could just feel it," he shuddered. "They were also trying to warn me. I don't know what he hit me with, but the first blow landed square in my back, knocking the breath out of me, the next should have taken my head."

He glanced over to Su, who offered her hand and waited for him to continue.

"When I came to, he had me trussed up in some underground sex dungeon, gagged and stripped to my smallclothes," he admitted. The memory of being held helpless made him shiver, he could still feel the restraints holding him. A collar around his neck, cuffs for his wrists, a belt at his waist, and several more cuffs on his thighs and ankles all chained together, what was holding him up he never had gotten a good look at, refusing to relive it through the crime scene photos. He vaguely remembered two posts to either side, which he guessed his hands and feet had been bound to. He shook the memory off even as he absentmindedly rubbed his wrists.

"I'm sure Jack would be all to familiar with everything, but it put me off that for good," he said, forcing a chuckle before growing serious again. "I could taste the blood on the ball gag. I still didn't know if it was mine or not, but it tasted old. I could see two kids across from me, a boy and a girl, they weren't even into their teens," he shuddered. "They were locked up in a small cage, barely big enough for one, let alone two. Both had been bound in leather cuffs, wrists and feet, tied to the top of the cage. The only other thing they wore were leather hoods, leaving them blind to what he was doing." He choked up again.

He remembered there had been a pair of small costumes hanging by the cage. A white blouse and blue dirndl dress to go over it next to a matching lederhosen and shirt. Crumpled on the floor was a mass of white fur, which he remembered from the follow-up report had been identified as some sort of sheep costume. The boy remembered nothing of the costumes, but there were pictures and film found that Will heard turned the staunchest stomach in it's depravity.

"I never saw his face," Will continued. "That bastard wore a black cloth hood with a collar holding it to his head, and a full body suit, like for scuba diving, y'know, not one of those proper kinky leather and latex sex gimp suit things this lot have here," he continued, forcing a chuckle. "He saw I was awake and shook his finger at me, never saying a word. He slapped my face, splashed me with what I hope was water. Then, I don't know, it was some sort of electric stun pole. Not unlike the 'cattle prods' they have here. He began shocking me. All over. My chest, my arms, legs, and-" Will couldn't force himself to finish the thought. Su gripped his hand tight and allowed him to take his time.

"I couldn't even scream, not with that gag," he finally said. "I could only think of Jackson, where he was, why he didn't find me, yet," he told her. "Somehow, he heard me, though. My empathy somehow connected us for a minute, he told me later. He said had felt drawn to the crows, to where we were being held. I had passed out from the pain, and when I woke up, I heard fighting. I looked up to see Jackson wrestling with the freak and I had apparently managed to pull my hands free, tearing the cuffs out of whatever he had attached them to. I don't know if it happened when he shocked me or what, but they told me they had been pulled out with force. My legs were still bound and too far to reach. That's when I realized I had a collar around my neck, too, which had been chained to something behind me," he explained. "Now that I had my hands free, I was able to pull my gag out and tried to unhook my neck. I looked up after hearing a crash, and saw Jackson had been thrown against the bars of another cage. My captor was going for his stun prod again and I screamed at Jacks to look out. That surprised the bastard and distracted him long enough for Jacks to tackle him instead. He nearly beat the man to a pulp in his anger."

"So you two managed to save at least two kids, then?"

"I...I'm getting to that," he said and reached for his glass again, but didn't drink. The liquid shook as he forced his hands to quiet. "Once Jackson had the guy cuffed, he came over to free me. That's the first time we kissed. He was glad I was still alive and I was so relieved to see him and to be free, we almost forgot about the kids for a minute," he admitted with a smirk. "I didn't realize it at the time, but he tasted _old_. I mean, I had had a couple lovers before then, but I just passed it off as how he tasted, you know? I never picked up on his true self in all the years I knew him," he grimaced. "I should have, though. That's what should have tipped me off, I could never read him."

He was quiet a minute, steeling himself for the next part. "When he freed me, I was too weak to do anything more than collapse in a heap, but when Jackson opened the cage...she...she was already cold, poor thing. The boy we managed to get to hospital, but he was starved and pumped so full of drugs, they didn't think he was going to make it. I was in recovery two full days, myself," he told her, fighting back tears. "Dad and Jacks barely left my side, except to check on the boy."

"So who was it? The kidnapper? Anyone I would have heard of?"

Will hesitated to reveal the name, knowing he was a well known face in this world, albeit less ..._damaged_ than his version. "It was...he knew- my dad knew him. I don't know how well, but it made Jacks question if he knew more than he had let on. He thought it might explain the drinking. The man was a 'person of interest' early on, but someone higher up decided he wasn't the one they wanted for this. We never really got a chance to question dad on that, as he was assigned to security on the cruise, right after. Most of the squad were, in fact. It was supposed to have been their 'reward', but..."

"Cruise?"

"The one for the Royal Family," he told her, finally tearing up. "The one no one survived. The one that Greaves and Wilf passed on, allowing them to argue who would take the Crown next, damn them."

"That's when it was decided Charles was to be elected Regent?"

"mm," he acknowledged before giving a silent salute with his glass and draining it once more.

Su realized this was a touchier subject. "The boy who survived? Did he make it?" she inquired.

Will shook his head. "Bloody Hades that kid was tenacious. Funny thing is, Owen wound up working for us under Martha in castle hospital wing."

"So something good did come out of all that, then?"

"Be glad you never met the rat-faced creep," Will chided her. "Kid knew his medicine, but Martha refused to work with him alone," he informed her then began to laugh at some private memory he chose not to share. He was quiet a moment before continuing. "I don't know if something was damaged from his captivity, but there was something _wrong_ about him after. Jack tells me he was part of his Torchwood crew when Gwen signed on. Turns out he and this world's Tosh had this whole unrequited thing going on _and_ Gwen even slept with the creep for a bit, cheating on Rhys before they were married!"

The pair broke out laughing, and fell into one another. They locked eyes and suddenly found themselves kissing.

Will forced himself to break it off. "Who are you, Su Smith? Why can't I keep myself from liking you?"

She smiled and kissed him again, biting his lip, then dragging two fingers across his close cropped beard, pinching the soft flesh under his chin. "I'm not that far ahead of you, Will, in fact we've never even-" She left the implication open.

"Why do you remind me of her, Su? Why do you look like Tosh?"

"I didn't always look this way," she admitted.

A sad look crossed his face. "I know. I...I keep getting these flashes from you. You looked so different, so young, and you were. You really were that young, and you ran away, didn't you?"

"With him, yes," she admitted. "Then he left me behind. In 2168."

Will nodded, then realized what she had said. "Wait, 2168?"

"He left me behind, said it was time to find my own way," she told him, now fingering the rim of her glass. "There was this man, David. I thought I loved him, but...I was still young, relatively speaking, still foolish to think it would work. We tried, but... I still think of him, sometimes. He was good to me, to our kids."

"You have kids, too?"

"These were adopted," she clarified, nodding. "Although one looked remarkably like him, and...I never asked, but I knew he knew the mother. I couldn't begrudge him that, as we couldn't-"

"It took a few years for me and Tosh," he admitted. "Then we had the boys back to back, barely a year apart." He grew quiet again, lost in his thoughts. "I miss them."

She wrapped an arm over his shoulders and held him close. "I miss my family, too."

He turned to say something else and almost bumped her nose. The next moment, they were kissing. He remembered thinking she tasted old, now that he thought about it, and pulling her closer before the darkness took him.

He woke with a groggy start, not immediately recognizing the room. He blinked away the bright light before realizing it was sunlight. When his eyes finally adjusted, he saw he was in a spare bedroom. The one closest to the Library where he and Su had been talking and drinking. His head pounded as he tried to sit up. He was still feeling the wine, but there was also something else to it. He'd drunk far more in the past and felt far less haggard than he did right now.

"She slipped me something," he muttered to himself.

"I did not!" came a voice from the chair in the corner of the room.

The glare from the window kept her hidden until she stood and crossed to the bed. He saw she was wearing one of his shirts. And little else. He smiled as she handed him a cup of coffee.

"I know _you_ wanted to slip me something," she teased, "but we weren't ready for that."

"We weren't?" he asked, taking a sip.

"No," she said, running a finger down his bare hairy chest.

"Where are the rest of my clothes?" he asked motioning toward her with the mug. "How'd you even get me to bed, anyway?"

"I'm stronger than I look?"

He gave her a look that essentially said _You really expect me to believe that?_ "Pull the other one then, lass."

Before she could answer, there was a loud _THUNK!_ from a nearby room. He glanced to her and saw a flash of panic in her eyes. "Will, wait!" she exclaimed, reaching out to hold him back, but he was already moving.

He threw off the sheets and realized he had been stripped almost naked. Tossing her an annoyed look, he grabbed a towel draped over a chair to cover himself as he sprinted out the door. He crept down the hall towards the direction of the sound as Su followed him into the hall. He grabbed one of the decorative swords off the wall and approached the room where he could hear hushed voices. He realized it was the room he had set aside for the nursery.

"Will!" Su hissed behind him. "Don't go in there!"

He ignored her and kicked in the door. No one was in the room, but it was apparent someone had been. Most of the room had been painted. He chanced a glance back to Su. "Been busy while I was sleeping?" he whispered, then turned back to survey the room once again. Nearly stepping on a still wet paint tray, he threw open the closets. Empty.

"Who are you?!" he called out. He glanced back to Su, who looked like she had seen a ghost. Without turning away from her, he pointed the sword at the open window behind him. "There's a breeze coming in the other one!" he called out then turned to look at the end of the blade.

He could see trees beyond, but they shimmered as if being reflected in water. Before Su could say anything more, he quickly knelt and threw the pan of paint at the window. It splattered on something just beyond and the tray bounced back into the room, splattering on the floor. "You're replacing that carpet!" Will exclaimed.

After a moment, a door opened just beyond the window. A furious looking young blonde woman looked out. "What the bloody hell kind of thanks is that supposed to be?" she yelled at Will.

"Who are you and why are you here?" he demanded, holding the sword point at her.

"Ohh, he's kinda cute," the trespasser told Su. "Did you two do it?"

"_Jenny!_"

Will chuckled, amused, then motioned with the sword for her to enter. "Flattery will get you places, m'dear," he said then dropped the humor. "Inside. Now."

The blonde followed his order and glanced around the room. "Not the shade I remember," she mused.

"Bloody time travelers," he groused. "Into the Library, the both of you."

The two women did as told, not realizing he had stepped back into the bedroom to grab a robe until they arrived. He came in a minute later and glared at the pair of them. "One of you mind telling me who you are and what in bloody Hades is going on?"

"Will, we're only trying to help," Su begged.

He eyed her cautiously. "I was more honest with you last night than I was with my wife. Then you knock me out, steal my shirt, and for what?"

"To paint the nursery," she offered.

"Why?"

"Because we have a vested interest in what happens here, Will," the blonde spoke up.

"Jenny, right?" he asked. She nodded. "If you are so invested, then why did you hide and deceive me? Who are you two? Does Jack know you? The Doctor? River?"

The pair were silent, but he saw Su flinch slightly at the second name. "What is he to you? You said he left you behind in, what was it, Twenty-one-?"

"2168," she confirmed. "Yes."

"You traveled with him, the both of you?"

Su nodded. Jenny replied, "No, I never traveled with him, but he knows me, which is why I have to hide. He thinks I'm dead."

"Why does he think that?"

"Because I was, when they left."

The memory of what Greaves had done to Jackson flashed through his mind. "Who revived you?" he said quietly.

"No one. I woke up after they left."

"Eh?"

"What do you know of the Doctor?"

Then he realized what she meant. "He can regenerate, change his appearance," he said. "When I first met him, he was this scrawny young man, but shortly after, he was wounded. We carried him back to the TARDIS, where he became that big ginger." He left out his part in the wounding.

"You saw him change?" Su asked.

He shook his head. "Jack and Rhys carried him inside, blocked us from following, but there was this-this glow already coming from his wound. We never saw it actually happen, Prince Will and I. It was almost an hour later, Rhys came running back out followed by Gwen, Jack, and a man we hadn't met. They insisted it was the wounded man they had carried inside." He didn't mention that the Time Lord's blood he had on him had been tingling where it touched his skin.

"How did you know it was still him?" Jenny asked.

Will gave a soft chuckle. "When I first met him, I literally ran into him." He tapped his temple. "Massive mental download when that happened. He took me by surprise running out of the brush, otherwise, I normally would have blocked it. I was still trying to process it for days after, but I knew it meant I had to leave everything behind to set things right." Bitterness crept into his voice at this last admission.

The girls remained quiet for a moment before Su spoke up. "Will, I never meant to betray you, but you must believe me, we mean you no harm."

"But we can't have you telling him we were here, or that you have met us," Jenny added.

"You're Time Lords, too, aren't you?" he asked before correcting himself. "Time Ladies?"

Another silent exchange. "Yes," Su answered.

He shook his head. "I should have known. The day I arrived here, the whole bloody planet was shifted galactically. There was some invasion by these flying robot orbs," he informed them. "Then everything felt different, as if some large reset button had been pushed. The orbs were gone, but everyone could feel it. Something had changed."

"Saxon," Jenny gasped. A dark expression crossed Su's face. They had done some research into recent history, looking for the Time Lord.

"After that, there was this toxic attack caused by some sort of 'green' emissions adapter for the cars here, then those flying pepper pots moved the bloody damned planet!"

"Sontarans, Daleks," Su said with a hint of menace.

"It wasn't long after that, when you lot celebrate Solstice day late, that everyone else took on the appearance of that Saxon, who was supposed to have died," he told them. "I don't know why I was spared, but I locked myself up that day. Athena knows what else, it felt like the world reset itself again not long after. I assume _he_ was behind saving the day all those times?"

Jenny had an amazed look on her face. Su nodded. "All that and more. Most people have no clue what he really does for this world, and he seems to like it that way. You could say the same would apply to us in this situation."

"You two are really interested in the boys, aren't you?"

"More than you could ever realize, Will," Jenny replied.

"That day you said everyone became Saxon?" Su inquired. "Did you see it? I hear the whole of Gallifrey appeared in the skies that day." The tone of her voice was hopeful and full of dread at the same time.

"You really are Time Ladies, aren't you?" he accused before answering. "So I heard. Like I said, I locked myself away in case I was found out and exposed or worse. What of it?"

"You never saw it?"

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, no. Why?"

"I miss it, Will," she said. "I've dreamed of returning there one day, but then something happened. I could feel somehow that things had changed in the universe. That Gallifrey was no more. I never knew why."

Jenny grabbed her hand. "I told you, it was the Time War."

Su nodded, fighting back tears. Her mind drifted back to the day her release from the late 22d Century had come. She heard the craft land and went running to it, hoping to see her grandfather once more. What she found was an empty TARDIS and a holographic message from a strange but familiar face. She had said this was the last chance she had to help him, that she had sent that TARDIS for her, to reunite with him once more. It had taken Su years to track him down and when she did, she found only Jenny drifting in space, her own life support on the edge of failing. The two soon found their own way, creating the family they had lost. Their path had lead here. She glanced back up to Will, realizing no one had said anything in a while. He was giving her a strange look.

"What?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"So you two want to help me raise the boys, is that it?" he asked. "But you want to do it from the shadows, so the big man doesn't know you're here?"

Jenny nodded. "Essentially, yes."

Su reached over and took his hand. "Will, you know you can trust us, right?"

He squeezed her hand. "As well as anyone else in this crazy world none of us really belongs in," he told her. "One thing though, if you're going to stay, you can't park that invisible TARDIS outside the nursery window, especially when we're trying to paint the room. Fumes and all, you know?"

Jenny rolled her eyes as Su leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. "Of course."

* * *

The pale man in the blue suit stopped to check his appearance in a reflection before he entered the hall. His close cropped hair and goatee were a pale blond, adding into his ghostly appearance. Only his cobalt blue eyes stood out, and he noted long ago this particular shade of color for his suit seemed to make them pop. He winked at himself proudly before proceeding.

He strode past the various cells, barely noting the occupants within as he passed until he reached the one on the far end. The one containing the most dangerous of the lot. Far more dangerous than the two large green aliens with the long arms and neck. One of the first days they had been captive, an inattentive guard had been skewered by a finger bone projectile from one of them. Ever since, these two were forced to wear metal mesh gloves, just in case.

Then there was the feline trio who tried to make the best of their situation by acting as if they were on vacation. They had even asked to be able to paint the walls into a tropic beach, and the males even wore flowery print shirts and she wore a loose sundress to complement it. (He actually felt bad about these three, as they were most accommodating and one of the males tried to appease him as often as he could.)

The other cells were full of occupants just as odd: silver robots; the plastic mannequins; the savage humanoid with sharp teeth and beady eyes recovered in Wales; the ghostly white unformed humanoids who tried to mimic anyone they saw; the lizard woman; and even the creature that refused to come out of it's tank-like shell. All would have killed him on sight if given the chance. All stayed their hand because of the man at the end of the hall. It was obvious they feared him, but none would say why.

The man in question ignored the man in the blue suit as he read the morning paper by his cell door.

"There's been activity on the Estate," he informed the prisoner in a cheery voice.

The prisoner ignored him.

"It seems our mystery woman is back, seduced the caretaker, and was joined by another woman. A blonde, this time."

The prisoner turned the page of his paper, indifferent.

"It seems she climbed into a window despite not having appeared anywhere outside the building?"

The prisoner raised an eyebrow at this. Whether it was for something he had just read or from his captor's report, it was hard to tell.

"Unfortunately, nothing fun happened, unless you count a late night painting party by the ladies fun? Once again, identification has proved impossible on either woman. Either way, the blonde missed an interesting bedtime story between the caretaker and his date, last night. Would you like to read the transcript?" He held up his PAD. "It is quite horrific and racy at the same time. Of course, whatever event he related has turned up untraceable, much like the man, himself, before a few years ago."

The prisoner glanced over to the man in the blue suit.

"I'm sorry. I'll have someone print it out for you. No sense letting you have any technology after the last time, is it?" he taunted.

The prisoner scowled. A lock of hair fell down in front of his eyes. "I don't suppose you could schedule me a visit to a barber, could you? I feel the need for a trim," he finally said, brushing the long brown curl from his face.

"I'll see what my superior thinks," Mr. Belew replied with a smirk.

"Don't worry, I know you will try to analyze it for whatever you can, but it will be a waste of time. Again."

"Yes, curious that. I don't suppose you would be so kind as to tell us why? Not a single trace of DNA recovered from any sample we've tried to take from you. What secrets are you hiding?"

The prisoner smiled. "As I have told you many times before, I am a master of many secrets." He folded the paper and handed it the his captor through the service slit in the clear door. "Here. Tell the kitties not to fill in the New York Times crosswords in ink in the future, would you? There's a good boy."

Mr. Belew took the newspaper with a hint of disgust, turned and marched back the way he had come. The lab boys would once again comb over the paper for any trace of DNA, coded message, or whatever. They would, of course, find nothing once again.

Once outside the hall, he would place it into one of the usual inventory processing bags and drop it off before reporting to his superior. He usually ignored the seeming random placement of the black uniformed soldiers in the halls as he walked, but he would occasionally make a game out of where the day's rotation would place them. Of course, they were always placed flanking the boss' office. Even with the extreme security measures, he often felt intimidated by the way the usual guards always seemed to size him up as a threat and eager to throw him to the ground when he swiped his access card too fast for the reader.

He was almost surprised to see the man had someone in his inner office as he entered, a woman with mocha colored skin. His superior's personal assistant made him take a seat until they were finished. He thought she looked familiar, somehow, and she seemed to be on at least friendly terms with the man in charge judging by her relaxed stance as she talked to him.

When she did leave, she barely glanced in his direction. He noted that she wore a military uniform similar to UNIT, but there were no markings to identifying her branch or allegiance. He was finally allowed in a few minutes later.

"And how is our guest of honor this morning?" the man's superior inquired.

"He seemed intrigued by the report at the Estate, to be honest, but annoyed the cats are trying to solve the Times crossword in ink, again."

"Do they even know what they are writing?"

"It's hard to say, sir," Mr. Belew replied. "The code breakers know it's a language, but have yet to decipher it."

"Have they asked the cats to read it?"

"They have, but they revert to their native language, claiming it's hard to translate to human terms?"

"And what does he do with the crossword?"

"He apparently doodles circles, sir. If it's a code, it's far more advanced than anything we have on Earth."

"Circles?" the man behind the desk mused. "Compare it with any and all crop circles, see if there's any correlation."

"Of course, sir," Belew nodded.

"Is there anything else?"

"If I may be so bold, sir? The woman who just left?"

The man behind the desk gave him an unappreciative glare.

"Dr. Jones is of no concern to you."

"Yes, sir. Sorry to bother you, sir."

"Dismissed, Agent!"

Belew nodded and saw himself out, making a mental note to look into this mysterious "Dr. Jones" woman and making a joke to himself about her being a world traveling adventurer. He had no clue her travels took her much farther than that.

In his office, the man in charge rolled his eyes at the departing man in blue, then turned to his computer and opened a communications channel. The familiar T-hexagon flashed for a minute before an obviously distracted man appeared, still pulling up his suspenders.

"Good morning, handsome!" Jack Harkness cheerily quipped upon seeing who was calling him.

"There have been some visitors to the Estate, Jack," the man informed him. "Two young women, one was dark-haired, possibly of Asian descent, the other was a blonde, both unknown. Martha claimed she had no clue as to their identities, either."

"Will is allowed to have guests, you know," Jack reminded his associate.

"One of the women apparently appeared out of nowhere, when she climbed into a window. I'm sending you the security footage now," he replied, tapping the command into his keyboard.

Jack looked away to another monitor, watching it for a few minutes. He looked slightly amused at several parts. He finally turned back to his caller. "Thanks, James, I'll pop by and see how things are going, later. It looks like nothing to worry about."

"The woman climbed into a window out of thin air, Jack," James reminded him. "Surely that requires some looking into?"

"Let me worry about that, won't you?" Jack snapped. "No one sets foot on the Estate without my consent. Not even Martha. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir. My apologies."

"Was there anything else?"

"No sir."

Jack thanked him for the update and turned his connection off. James leaned back in his chair and let out a heavy sigh. The Ministry allowed Torchwood more than enough leeway, but allowing a loose cannon like Jack Harkness to run _his_ operation? Not bloody likely.

He knew Harkness went into hiding after the 456 Incident, only to turn up during the chaos of the "Miracle Day" event and immediately disappear again until most of that mess had been cleaned up. Such an unreliable man was not going to be put in charge of the operation he had been running for years, no matter the cost. His department had salvaged most of the equipment from the Torchwood Hub under Roald Dahl Plass and had been put to good use in the name of the British people since that time. In James' opinion, Harkness had lost the right to the equipment and any chance of redeeming himself being allowed to run any organization by his actions and with his disappearances. It was James' show now.

* * *

**Three weeks later**

Will made his usual run into town, not expecting anything unusual until he chanced upon a familiar face sitting at his favorite bench.

"Hello, lass," he greeted, dropping beside her. "I didn't expect to see you so soon. Fancy a bit of lunch, then?"

She turned and gave him a confused expression. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"Very funny, Su Smith," he chided her before seeing her alarm at using the name. "This is going to be our first date from your perspective, isn't it?" he asked.

"From my perspective?" she repeated. "Have we met?"

"Bloody time travelers," he muttered before offering to buy her lunch again and explaining who he was. He didn't realize until after they had eaten that she never mentioned Jenny once.

* * *

TBC...


	4. Ch25 Reformation

Doctor Who: ALBION - Countdown

Chapter 25 - Reformation

Disclaimer - I don't own nothing or nobody you know/recognize. Doctor Who is intellectual property of the BBC, afaik.

Characters: Gleeson!Doctor, Markham, River, Jack, OCs

* * *

Will Markham sat in the library, engrossed in the code he was writing on his laptop that he almost missed the door opening. He could see the intruder's reflection in the screen and feigned ignorance until they were right behind him.

"I told you, minimum of a year," he informed the man behind him.

"How about five?" he replied, leaning over his associate's shoulder to see what he was doing.

Will quickly saved his program and closed the lid. "Nosy. Prove it." Will saw he still wore the same gold trench coat over his light blue suit, with a gold-green striped tie and a white scarf.

The Doctor smiled at his friend and turned his head. "River! He's in here!"

Upon hearing this, Will tightened up his robe in a moment of modesty. It was, after all, the only thing he had been wearing. "You could have called ahead, you know. What if I had been entertaining?"

The Doctor had already strolled over to the book shelves. "Eh? Entertaining who?"

"A lady friend? Jack?" The Time Lord scoffed at this. "I am allowed to have a life, you know!" he chided.

"Not while you're watching my children, Markham," he said in a warning tone, pulling a book from the shelf.

"Leave him be, sweetie," River countered, entering the Library with two young boys in tow. He saw she was dressed casually, blue jeans, white jumper, and a black leather jacket. "Hello, Will," she greeted him, giving him a quick hug before turning to her children. "Boys, this is your Uncle Will. You'll be staying with him for a while," she informed them. "He'll be your tutor, now."

The twins looked at him, sizing him up. "I don't like him," the blond decided. The dark haired one kept his silence. Both wore modern clothing of the time, so they would not stand out in a crowd, unlike their father, who always seemed to dress in a fashion that seemed slightly out of step with the times.

"Tough," the Doctor declared, looking up from his book. "Will is going to be your teacher for the next few years. You will listen to him and you will do as he says, from your education to chores. Is that understood?"

The blond gave him a gruff nod, obviously unhappy with this decision. The other one wandered over to the shelves and picked a book at random, flipping through it. "We have better books on the TARDIS," he finally said.

"Get used to it," the Doctor told him, patting him on the head.

He looked back to Will. "I don't want to stay."

River knelt down in front of him. "Honey, we discussed this over and over. And over. You two need a proper childhood and your father and I will visit as often as we can."

"Every day?" the blond asked.

"No, not every day, Alistair," his father told him, rolling his eyes. "And not every week, either, Jamie," he answered the blond before he could ask.

"As often as we can," River repeated herself, pulling the twins to her in a hug. "How about we ask Uncle Will for a tour, see how you like the place?" she urged, looking up to him.

"After he gets dressed," the Doctor muttered under his breath.

"I told you, you should have called ahead," Will whispered back before kneeling down to the boys. "It's not so bad here, and your grandmother helped me decorate." He glanced to River. "They do know their grandmother, right?"

River smirked. "Amy and Rory have met and spoiled them on numerous occasions," she replied.

"Emphasis on _spoiled_," their father muttered.

"Don't start, sweetie," she tasked him. He rolled his eyes again and pulled another book at random, flipping through it. "You know full well Amy is simply making up for the chance to be a mother that she didn't get with me."

Will decided it was time to change the subject. "So, about that tour?" he clapped his hands together. The parents nodded their assent. "Why don't I let you guys look around in here a few minutes while I throw some clothes on?" he suggested, excusing himself.

He didn't realize the Doctor had followed him to his room until he turned around to pull his pants on. "Yes?" he asked.

The Time Lord fingered the door frame, ignoring his friend's state of semi-undress. "Will, are you sure you're up to this?"

Will grabbed a shirt and pulled it on as he answered. "Of course. I had two boys of my own, back home. I tutored Will from before they were born and-" He paused, lost in the memory. "I still miss them," he admitted, "but I know what kind of trouble you get into. I understand you wanting to keep them safe. If I run into any trouble, I have Jack, Amy and Rory, and a couple others to call on."

"A couple others?"

"What, you think I've just been sitting about on my ass, waiting on you to show up?"

"It's not that, Will, I-"

"Don't want to give up your children?" he asked, tucking in his shirt. He crossed the room to his friend and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Trust me, they're going to be fine."

The Doctor seemed to fight the urge to reply, but couldn't find the words.

"I know about loss, giving up my family for the greater good," he assured the other man. "I gave up everything and everyone I ever knew and loved so your friends could return here, to their home. I know this is an honor and I hope to do right by you, as I did Charles when I took Will under my wing."

"Mentor Chiron," the Doctor said.

"Mentor Chiron," Will repeated, smiling.

The Doctor laid a hand on his friend's shoulder, then slid it up to the back of his neck. "If you don't, there's no time or place you could hide from me," he warned with a smirk. He shook Will's neck for emphasis as he chuckled.

"What are you gonna do, sic Jack on me?" Will laughed.

"Nah, he'd enjoy that too much," the Doctor laughed. "More than you would when he found you!"

Will pushed him back into the hall. "Is that a threat or a promise?" he chuckled as he reached back and grabbed his shoes.

The pair returned to the Library to find Alistair idly flipping through a book while Jamie had opened Will's laptop and was idly flicking through it's contents. River sat on the couch, watching him.

"Oi! What do you think you're doing?" Will accused the blond.

"Correcting your errors in code," he said idly.

Will started to say something, then glanced back in annoyance to the boy's parents. "First things first, you boys respect my privacy and I'll respect yours!" he declared, then turned the laptop around to see what the boy had done. "You do know this was a rough draft, right?" he grumbled, looking over the changes.

"It's amateurish at best," Jamie replied, unimpressed.

Will shot the Doctor a dirty look, only to see the man had a smirk on his face. "I don't know what your parents have taught you so far, but this world is decidedly less advanced than what they probably have told you. To blend in, we have to stay under the radar. That means no advanced programming or anything else this world won't see for decades or centuries yet."

"I also increased your computing power, battery life, memory-" he began as River gave an impressed chuckle.

"Show off," Will grumbled, closing the laptop. "Now come on, I promised you lot a tour of the Estate." He tugged the boy's head away from the table and toward his parents, then lead the family out into the hall. He first took them to the room he had set up for the boys. "We didn't know how soon you were going to drop them off, so Amy had me buy cribs as well as bunk beds for them," he pointed out the bedding. I guess I can take the cribs back, now?"

The Doctor chuckled at the memory of Rory's complaint some time back. "Bunk beds." He turned to the twins. "Just like back in your room in the TARDIS!" He scooped up Alistair and placed him on the top bunk. "You like?"

Alistair rolled his eyes at his father. "It's a bed."

"A bed with a _ladder_!" he replied cheerily.

River hung her head and rubbed the ridge of her nose. "_Sweetie_," she cautioned. "They know what bunk beds are."

Will leaned over to her. "Amy's idea."

"So I guessed," she smirked.

Once the family were satisfied with the boys' bedroom arrangement, they proceeded with the rest of the tour. Will pointed out his own room down the hall, the bathrooms, the kitchen and proper dining room, the sitting room, and various other rooms in the main house.

He then led the quartet to the stable, pointing out he had modified it into a small gym for the boys to get their exercise, and warning them they were not to be in there without supervision. Next he showed them the garage, where he promised to show them how to repair various things.

Jamie began rooting around the tool box. "You don't even have a Sonic?" he asked, examining a spanner.

The Doctor took the tool. "No, he doesn't have a Sonic, and neither will you, young man," he warned.

Jamie started to protest, but his father held up a finger for him to be silent. He glared at Will next.

"Don't give me that, your parents should have already set some basic rules like that," he announced, also glancing to Alistair to see if he was going to protest as well. He kept his silence.

The Doctor began ticking off his proclamations on his fingers. "No Sonics. No time travel devices. No weapons. And no anything else I may have forgotten, but I'm sure Will shall cover at a later date. Understood?"

Two reluctant nods followed.

"All right then. Markham?" he flourished his arm for the man to continue.

Will showed them the rest of the property, pointing out the boundaries and areas that were off limits to the boys for their own safety. The boys were getting tired of walking, so it was decided it was time to head back to the house. River walked ahead with the boys as the two men lagged behind to talk.

"Is everything going okay here, Will?" he inquired.

"Pretty much what I expected," he shrugged. "We found a number of cameras and other monitoring devices. Jack feigned ignorance, but I think he had someone install them to keep an eye on things here, just in case."

"We? Someone?"

"I told you, I haven't been sitting here waiting on you lot to show up," he replied.

"What's his name? Or her name?" the Time Lord chuckled.

"Su," he replied with a wistful smile.

"Sue? Can she be trusted?"

Will paused before he answered. "As much as you trust me, yes. I was upfront about the boys coming and she was okay with that," he said. "In fact, I've opened up to her like no one else, not even- not even Tosh, Jacks, or Charles." The names were still hard for him to say. The memories of his lost loved ones would always be a sore spot, he knew.

The Doctor stopped and grabbed Will's arm. "You did what?" he hissed.

"Except for where I came from and who you really are, I've been pretty honest with her. It's called building trust."

"I want to meet her," he decided. Ahead, River stopped and looked back to them.

Will glanced at his mobile for the time. "That's nice, she should be here any time, now."

"She's coming by tonight?"

"Again, call ahead," Will griped. "I am allowed to have my own life, you know." He began to type on his mobile. "In fact, why don't I tell her you're here? She's been dying to meet you."

"Will, I'm asking you: Can this woman be trusted?" he snarled.

Will looked back at him with a steely defiance. "Yes. If you can't trust me on this, then you should never have trusted me in the first place," he informed his friend.

"Boys?"

"Not now, River, we're talking," the Doctor told her without looking. Will did look and took a double take.

"We've got company, sweetie," she replied.

The Doctor now turned and saw what the others were looking at. Standing across the field near the estate was a man in a trench coat, wind flapping it around his body. Even from that distance, the trio recognized who it was.

The Doctor began striding toward him. "River, get the boys to the TARDIS. I'll deal with this." Will followed him, the idea being he would head off the raging bull of the man beside him.

"What the blazes do you think you're doing here, Jack?" the Time Lord demanded, still twenty feet away and closing.

Jack held his hands up in defense. "I'm just here to talk."

"I told you to stay away, Jack," Will warned. He tossed something from his pocket at the man.

Jack fumbled to catch it, and held it up to see what it was. The Doctor threw another at him. "Recording devices, Jack."

Without warning, several more fell out of the air, all hitting Jack. Another volley followed. He didn't try to avoid them. "Where did-?" he began before another volley rained down, one catching him on the lip.

"Oi! That's enough, you two!" the Time Lord called out. One more fell at Jack's feet. "River!"

"This hasn't been the first time I've found these devices, Jack," Will informed him.

"It ends. Now." the Time Lord warned.

"Not my idea," Jack said. "There are certain factions who know about you, Will, and want to keep an eye on you."

Will crossed his arms in disbelief. "Go on."

"They know you don't belong here and are associated with me."

"And?" the Doctor prodded.

"And, yes, _you_," he admitted. "The new people in charge want your secrets. All of them. And if you can't help them, they've decided you're against them."

"Bloody Hades," Will griped. "Athena take me!" He threw his arms up in the air.

Jack started to say something, but the Doctor's scowl kept him quiet. "I've tried to head them off, tell them you're nothing to worry about, but they don't believe me."

"Eh? Why's that?"

"Because, he keeps writing all this security code which is leaps beyond what this era is capable of!" he poked Will in the arm. "Even the various militaries hold back at least a decade before cluing the media in."

The Doctor turned on his ally. "Bloody idiot!" He suddenly wished he had a hat to slap the other man with.

"Can I help it if I can't dumb down for this lot?" he defended himself. "Who's after me, anyway?"

Jack hesitated, glancing nervously to the Time Lord. "UNIT."

"UNIT? What happened to Torchwood?"

"What remained besides Gwen and myself, was absorbed into UNIT. Centralization of departments or some such," he explained.

"What remained?" Will asked.

"Technology, the few stragglers who survived Canary Wharf like Ianto, et cetera," he said. "UNIT and Torchwood have become something else, now. I'm not sure where I stand with them."

"What are we going to do about this, gentlemen?" Will asked.

"I can't leave my children in this situation, Will. I'm sorry," the Doctor said, then turned to Jack. "Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"I needed to know how far this went, which is way deeper than I expected. I barely managed to get someone inside, but I think they already knew that when they accepted her."

"Her?" the Doctor repeated, then realized who he meant. "_HER_? No, Jack! I won't allow her to do this!"

"She's already in, and trying not to expose her true mission in order to protect your family," he protested. "She's fully aware of the stakes should she be exposed."

They would have argued more, but the Doctor saw a vehicle approaching. "One of your friends, Jack?" he pointed.

Jack watched it approach rapidly. The red sports car came screeching to a halt barely a foot from the nearest of the trio. "James," he muttered under his breath.

A blondish man in his forties got out. He wore a slightly rumpled overcoat a shade darker than his thinning hair, a dark blue suit underneath, with a crooked tie. He pulled off his driving gloves. "Right then, you lot, I want explanations and I want them now!"

The three men stared at him unfazed. "Who in the Bloody Hades' name are you?" Will demanded.

"This is actually private property," Jack reminded him. "We're asking you to leave, James. Go get in your mid-life crisis mobile and get out of here. Now."

"Shut up, Harkness," the man snapped then turned to the Time Lord. "You're him, aren't you?"

"Depends who you're looking for," he replied.

James shook his finger. "Don't get smart with me, Doctor. I've read your files. Lethbridge-Stewart was fairly concise in chronicling your adventures together." He looked to Will. "We're still trying to figure you out, though, Markham."

"Who. Are. You?" Will asked again.

"Lord James Gloucester, head of Torchwood," he declared, throwing an annoyed look at Jack. "This one doesn't like it or me, and I suppose he's informed you we've been folded into UNIT?" The trio didn't give a hint of concern. This only seemed to annoy Gloucester even more. Right then, I'll be straight with you," he said, tossing Jack another look, but he remained stoic. "This estate is under observation under royal decree as a possible threat to the British Empire and Royal Family."

The Doctor and Jack were unimpressed, while Will burst out laughing. "Me? A threat? You must be joking!"

"We don't know a thing about you, Markham, other than you simply appeared a few years ago out of nowhere and you're somehow linked to this pair, who have files longer than the bloody Amazon!" He pointed at the other two. "Most of the files on computer about these two have mysteriously been wiped, for some mysterious reason, and that mystery seems to have extended to you of late. Care to explain why?"

"Which is why you people asked me to design your firewalls and electronic security?" Will countered. "Do you take me for a fool?"

"And what about this lady friend of yours?" James asked. "Who is she?"

"None of your business," he said coldly.

"Some Asian -possibly Japanese- woman who appears out of nowhere, quite literally, acts all cozy with you, even though you've barely had contact? And what about her blonde girlfriend? She's the bigger mystery."

"They're no concern to you," Will told him. Jack took a step forward to show his solidarity. The Doctor didn't move, but seemed to be studying the other three curiously.

James eyed both of them, then looked to the Doctor. "We'll have your secrets, the lot of you," he said. "This is a new UNIT and Torchwood, Doctor. No more humoring you and your lot. We'll know everything about you, whether you like it or not."

"I'd like to see you try," the Time Lord retorted. "And the next time you disrespect the good name of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, you will regret it," he warned. "You're not fit to shine his shoes."

Gloucester snorted, then returned to his car, tearing up the ground as he backed up and returned whence he came.

"I'm sorry, Will, but I can't leave my kids here if that man wants my secrets. It's too dangerous," the Doctor finally said after Gloucester's car had left their sight.

"He won't be a problem," Will said. "I've already put a plan in place in case we were attacked, from within as well as without." He picked up one of the recently recovered sensors from the ground. "I told you I'd already found these before."

"So who was planting them?" the Doctor asked, eyeing Jack.

He held up his hands in innocence. "I've been trying to find that out, myself," he said. "You don't think I've been wasting my time, waiting for your pretty face to show up again, have you?" The Doctor raised an annoyed eyebrow. "Okay, I have been doing that, too, but I've also been trying to find out the reason behind this sudden interest in our pasts. Something doesn't quite feel right about it. It's more than what James implied."

"If that's the case, then you better get back to it, Jack," he ordered.

Jack snapped to attention and saluted him, "As you command!" he snarked, then turned to Will. "I'll see you?"

"Only on their surveillance tapes, Jack," he smirked. "Make sure they're wiped," he asked.

Jack smiled. "Private use only, promise," he winked, then adjusted his vortex manipulator and vanished as Will shook his head.

"I thought you said you only had one lady friend over?" the Doctor inquired as they began to walk back to the main house.

"Eh?"

"Gloucester said there were two women here, a Japanese and a blonde?"

"She can't dye her hair?" he offered.

"I got the feeling he had seen them here together," he said. "If you're hiding something from me, Will-?"

"I told you, they can be trusted," he assured the Time Lord.

"How do I know they aren't using you to get to me? They could be Gloucester's agents."

Will tapped his head. "I'd know if they were deceiving me. They aren't. They only want to help."

"Help who?"

"Us. You, me, River, the boys."

"I need more proof than your word, Will."

"Why, because you've abandoned your family before?"

The Doctor stopped in his tracks. "What? How did you know-?"

Will tapped his head once more. "Remember when we first met? Literally running into each other?" he said. "I picked up more than I realized," he lied. "I've trusted Su with some of my secrets. She can be trusted."

"What about _my_ secrets, Markham?"

"I haven't told her anything she didn't already know."

"Great," he rolled his eyes. "Another LINDA fan girl."

Will chuckled to himself. "Not quite." He held the door open for the Time Lord to enter as the other man called out for his family.

"River! Boys?"

She sauntered back into the front room. "Is Jack not staying? What a shame," she said dryly, holstering her weapon. Will caught the Doctor giving her a stern look.

"Where are the boys? We're leaving," the Time Lord announced.

She glanced to Will as she replied. "And by _we_, you mean the two of us or-"

"All of us."

"What's going on?" she inquired, concerned.

"Jack has a new boss," Will told her. "He wants all of our secrets, or else."

"Good luck with that," she scoffed. "Now what's for dinner?" She headed into the kitchen, dismissing the latest drama.

"We're not staying for dinner, River," the Doctor declared. "We're leaving. Now."

She ignored him and began looking in the refrigerator. "_We_ may be, but the boys are staying."

"_River!_"

"Don't 'River' me, Sweetie," she cut him off, spinning around and slamming the door shut. "The boys stay with Will and get a proper education, as we already agreed."

He fumed and looked between the two of them. "What do you two know that you aren't telling me?" he demanded.

Will crossed his arms in defiance, staring at the floor as he leaned against a counter. River stood her ground, hands on hips.

"They're not safe here, with that Gloucester sniffing around and planting bugs all over this place!" he yelled. "I won't leave them in danger like that!"

"You've already abandoned your family, twice over," Will said. He looked up to see the Doctor's face turning red from rage and the surprise on River's face. "You left your first family behind when you left Gallifrey, then abandoned your granddaughter in the mid 22d Century."

The Time Lord took a step toward him. "Watch yourself. You don't know what you're talking about," he warned.

"2168."

The Doctor took another step forward and grabbed the front of Will's shirt. Will made no move to defend himself, merely holding the Time Lord's gaze. After a moment he released Will and turned away, placing his hands on the counter to steady himself.

"Stay out of my head, Markham."

"Sweetie?" River asked, concerned at this revelation, but he merely held up a finger for her silence. She took it and slipped her hand in his. He turned his head away. "Talk to me, sweetie," she urged. "We can trust Will, just like you trust me." She hugged herself into his thick arm.

"Me trust you?" he scoffed as the memory of his long ago second meeting with this mysterious blonde woman came back. "Don't be ridiculous."

"Right. Where's the fun in that?" she teased back.

Whatever the Time Lord's thoughts on this accusation, he kept them to himself. It was a long minute before he turned back to fully face the other two. "I'm sorry, Will. I just-"

"Don't want to give up your family again? Believe me, I can understand. I already told you as much."

The Time Lord gave a curt nod. "Then you can understand why I don't want to leave my children in a situation where someone like Gloucester can take them?"

"I was responsible for keeping the crown prince safe back home," he reminded them.

"That was one child, you had a full castle and Torchwood to back you up, and you were never aware that he had a twin who had swapped places with him on several occasions, before," the Doctor countered. "I have two children which, as you have already seen, are already far beyond your limited knowledge."

"One, I had my suspicions, but recognized similar characteristics to his mother's mood swings, the true origin of which I was not privy to. Without giving him a complete psychiatric exam, I had no proof," he explained. "Two, he was seemingly fine a day later, so I chalked it up to typical youthful mood swings, like any other child. Had he been mine or had I been more familiar with him, I would have questioned it more. In fact, I did mention it to Charles, who merely brushed it off."

"And if my children have these 'mood swings'?"

"Then I contact you for advice. Jack if it's an extreme emergency," he offered. "The fact I'm already aware of your regenerative capability doesn't bother me much, but I will try to keep them both out of mortal danger."

The Time Lord glowered at him. "So your Plan B is Jack? That's it?"

"Plan C."

"Then what's Plan B?"

Will smirked. "Spoilers."

The Doctor fought the urge to slap him again. He was saved by a knock at the front door. Will excused himself to answer it, with River following to see who it was.

A friendly face stood there with two pizza boxes. "I'm sorry, miss, I have no money to pay you," he smirked.

Su shoved the boxes into his belly. "We'll think of something later, big boy," she winked before noticing River leaning against the doorframe leading to the kitchen. "Did I come at a bad time?"

"Oh, um, Su, allow me to introduce you to-"

The blonde took the initiative. "River Song. We've met," she said, taking the other woman's hand, ignoring their reactions.

"You have?"

"We have?"

"Stick with me, sweetie, we'll annoy the old fella," River suggested, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and leading her into the kitchen. Will followed, dumbfounded. "Sweetie, dinner."

The trio reentered the kitchen to find the burly Time Lord still leaning against the sink counter. He gave the newcomer a suspicious look. Will couldn't help but notice the usually confidant woman he had been seeing was taken aback as he set the pizzas down.

"Su Smith, this is my husband, Doctor John Smith," River introduced them. Will did a double take. "He usually goes by Doctor," she added. "Honey, this is Will's friend, Su."

He offered his hand, still eyeing her. "Have we met?"

Su had seemed shaken upon seeing him and especially so at the word _husband_, despite River's assuring rub of her shoulders. "No, Grand-, um, grand to meet you, that is. Doctor...Smith?" she fumbled. Her hand trembled as he tried to take it, only managing to grab two fingers which she quickly withdrew.

The Doctor couldn't help but notice the silent exchange between Will's puzzled expression and River's knowing nod.

"Is something wrong?" he asked the trio.

"No! Um, no, It's just- I mean, I wasn't expecting to see _you_ here, is all?" Su fumbled, still shaken.

"Leave her be, sweetie, the pizza's getting cold. Will, go fetch the boys?" she asked, directing Su into a chair at the table, then taking the seat next to her. The Doctor sat across from the women, his mind working, trying to recall where he had met her before. His twins soon distracted him as plates were passed around as well as drinks.

The boys, never having had pizza before, were initially hesitant, but soon devoured several slices apiece. Laughing at their reactions, the Doctor soon turned his attentions back to the newcomer.

"So Will tells us you're going to help him watch over and teach my boys, is that true?"

"_Sweetie_," River scolded him. The boys were temporarily distracted by this news.

"Don't you want to know who's going to help Will with educating our sons?" he asked before turning back to the other woman. "Do you have any special qualifications? Medical training? Other children?" he pressed.

River and Will both reacted to this, but Su had regained her composure. "Well, I have a higher than average IQ, and helped my ex-husband raise several children, as well as some younger relatives," she informed them. She glanced to Will and could see he was nervous she would slip up in front of the Doctor.

"_Ex_-husband? And this girlfriend of yours?"

Will rolled his eyes as she glanced to him. "Sorry, before you arrived, we finally had a visit from that idiot who's been planting those bugs, Gloucester. And Jack. He mentioned you know who," he related, adding the last after a furtive glance to the Time Lord. River gave him a knowing smile, dabbing the corner of her mouth.

"You found another batch?" she asked. He nodded.

"How many times have they been planted here?" the Doctor inquired.

"Three times before, that we've found," Will answered. "We usually find them after a run into town or leave the premises," he admitted. "I haven't checked the perimeter lately, where we found them today." He glanced to Su. "It's probably been, what, about six months since we've found any, otherwise?" She nodded. "I usually check at least once a week. Now that the boys are here, we can make a regular chore out of it."

"Chore?" Jamie questioned, mid-bite.

"Shh, and chew with your mouth closed, honey," River chided him.

"Yes, besides your regular schooling, you two will have chores," Will explained. "Is that a problem?"

Their parents shook their heads and looked to the twins. They only saw knowing smirks among the four adults.

Once the boys had been thoroughly disappointed, the Time Lord turned his attention back to Su. "You were saying about tutoring your children and young relatives?"

Su spared a quick glance to Will. "Yes, my, um, ex-husband and I raised four children and I later helped out with my nephews," she explained.

"What happened to them?" he asked, then saw River's furious look. "If, ah, you don't mind me asking?"

"David, he-he died," she said as Will took her hand in support. "The children weren't mine, so they went to live with other relatives. I-I was so heartbroken, I had to...I-I left the area. I eventually wound up here, where I met Will. The rest is history." She forced a smirk at him.

"You don't look that old?" he asked.

"_Sweetie!_"

"No, it's okay," she said. "I am older than I look. I guess I just have good genes?" She looked at him hesitantly.

"I'm older than I look, too," Will added. "And Charles as well. You never had a problem with that, either?"

"Are you sure we haven't met before?" the Time Lord asked again.

"No, I'm sure I would have remembered meeting someone as intense as you," she replied.

River gave him a smug smile as Will choked down a laugh, and failed.

Nonplussed, he continued. "And what has Will told you about us?"

"That you two are travelers and he made you agree to stay with your boys for a while before leaving them with him for their education," she explained, matter of factly.

"Do you travel much? Where are you from, maybe that's where we met?" he asked her.

"Oh, um, my parents weren't from anywhere near here," she replied nervously. "My grand-um, my father was from a, um, suburb of London. My mother was, um, from-" she glanced down at her plate, "China! Yes, China, originally," she blurted. "Just outside Shanghai."

The Doctor gave her a suspicious look. He began speaking in an odd language to Will's ears. Su replied in the same language, somewhat unsure in her reply before switching back. "Sorry, I only know a little Mandarin, my mother didn't speak it that much, and what she did wasn't for young ears," she motioned towards the boys.

River was amused by this, while Will seemed unusually nervous by the exchange.

"Well, at least the boys can learn something of another new language," the Doctor finally smiled, relieving the others.

"Why, the TARDIS translator circuits usually do the job for us," Alistair piped up.

Jamie elbowed him. "Remember what they told us!" he hissed.

"Translator _circuits_?" Will echoed. It was only after he had spoken that he realized he had blown their cover.

"You're working on a translator device?" Su asked, trying to help him recover.

"I tinker," the Doctor replied, still unsure of her, going along with her assumption.

"You should see what he did to a screwdriver," River noted with a smirk. Will and the boys laughed, Su fought a smirk.

The Doctor ignored River. "What did your parents do?"

"They were scientists," she said.

"Interesting. I know plenty of scientists, what areas did they work in? Perhaps I know them?"

"Oh, they weren't very well known," she lied to him. "Their names were, um, Ian Emrys and Niu Ling."

The Time Lord studied her for a long moment. "Hmm, you don't say? What did they study?"

"Oh, um, history and science," she told him.

"And what do you do?"

She glanced nervously to Will. "Oh, not much. I was traveling for a bit, until I met Will. I felt somewhat lost after losing David and the kids," she explained, solemnly. "Will seems to have shaken me out of that."

"So how do I know you two are going to last?"

"Oi!" Will chided him.

"And you didn't answer my question about that girlfriend of yours?"

"Sweetie, enough with the inquisition," River scolded him. "Boys, if you're done eating, go wash up and get your things. We'll help you set up your rooms, okay?"

The twins nodded and left the room. She turned back to their father. "Will trusts her and she's answered enough of your silly questions. Leave her be," she warned.

He turned his attention back to Su after seeing the boys off. "I'm waiting for an answer."

"My cousin. Jenny. Genevieve," she lied.

"So, Sue Smith, daughter of Ian Emrys and Niu Ling, cousin of Genevieve Emrys, widow of David Smith, and now lover of William Markham. Did I miss anything?"

"We're not-!" she exclaimed. "I mean, Will and I haven't, um-"

"It's none of his business what we do or do not do in our private moments," Will warned.

"But you were aware you were being filmed," the Doctor noted, "and know Jack has seen-"

"I asked him to _erase_ those recordings!" he declared. "Not only for our privacy, but for the sake of your kids!"

"If you say so," the Time Lord demurred.

Will pulled out his phone. "Ask him yourself."

"_Boys_," River warned, rising. "Look, why don't Su and I help the boys get unpacked and you two can finish your _chat_ while you clean up down here? Hm?" She helped Su up and they exited the room together.

Will glared at the Doctor. "Leave her be. She's a good woman and you can trust her."

"How do you know she's not working for Gloucester?"

"Jack never recognized her. Don't you think he would dig into Torchwood agents' backgrounds?"

"Not if she was a recent recruit and this was her first field assignment."

"You're impossible, you know that?"

"I've been called worse," the Time Lord demurred.

Elsewhere in the house, River and Su began to help the boys unpack their belongings. "I should apologize for him, but you probably miss that about him, don't you?" River asked quietly.

"You know who I am?"

River stopped and stared at her. "You mean you don't recognize me?"

"No? Should I?"

River dropped her voice to a whisper. "You said you helped raise your other relatives?" She nodded to the boys.

"I was talking about Aunt Jenny?" she whispered back. "Will mentioned having met her, but I had no idea who he was talking about at first," she admitted.

"Oh, sweetie!" she hissed, realizing her mistake in the other woman's timeline. "Come with me! Boys, don't move, we'll be right back!"

River led Su outside, avoiding the two men. Near the stable, she stopped and paused. "How long has it been for you?"

Su was confused now. "What do you mean?"

River reached out and pushed against an invisible door. Su's face lit up. "It's cloaked! He fixed it?"

"_He_ didn't do anything," she winked, grabbing the other woman's hand and leading her inside. "Don't worry, it's still the same old blue police box it's always been."

"I'd always hoped so!" Su said as she walked around in wonder. "It's so massive! And beautiful! He only used the basic default when I was with him! It was so drab and plain!" she laughed as she gave the raised dais a once over, then looking up to see the two stories of walkways above with various halls leading deeper into the craft.

"I would give you the full tour, but we only have a few minutes," River told her. "Don't worry, your secrets are safe with me."

Su stroked the control panel, marveling over the various displays. "I don't even know what half of these do!" she laughed, the tears beginning to fall. She turned to River. "Thank you, so very, very much for letting me see this!"

"What are friends for?" River replied, giving her a hug. She then turned and pressed a control. A small lid flipped open and River took something from inside it and handed it to Su. "If you ever need us, use this and we'll come running. Emergency use, only, you understand?"

Su looked down at the pendant. It was a small five sided shape with a crossbar attached above. One side had triangular shapes, the other was etched in circles. "Thank you, River!" she cried, hugging the woman again.

"I hate to rush you, but he would have my hide if he knew I was doing this," she scolded herself.

Su wiped her tears away. "This was more than enough. I can only hope you make him happy."

"Sweetie, that's barely scratching the surface," she laughed as they exited. "I don't suppose you have one around here? Will threatened something about 2168 earlier?"

"I would, but it's cloaked as well," she informed the other woman. "I would hate to see his reaction, after all that's happened."

"Don't worry, I'll pop back in later and you can show me," River smiled conspiratorially. "I'd also love to meet Jenny, as well. He's barely mentioned her. I'd love to know why."

The two women returned to the boys' room to see the men had called a truce and were hastily dismantling the cribs Amy had picked out. River quipped he finally had a good use for his screwdriver. He muttered something under his breath about a library the others didn't catch. After, River ordered the boys into a bath before bed, letting the men take the disassembled crib outside.

"So are you two staying the night or leaving as soon as the boys are asleep?" Will asked.

"River wants to stay tonight," the Doctor replied. "Fair warning, the boys' sleep cycle seems to be more like mine than human."

"Meaning?"

The ginger man smiled. "Take naps every chance you get," he chuckled. "What about you two? Is Su staying tonight?"

"She didn't say, but seeing as you lot are here, probably not."

"And you two haven't-?"

"None. Of. Your. Business."

"So that's a no then?" he laughed.

Will tapped his head. "I seem to recall you went quite a long while without," he said smugly.

The Doctor didn't find that funny at all.

The adults put the two boys to bed, then retreated to the Library once more. "I really should be going," Su insisted. "It's been nice meeting you, River," she said, the pair tossing an annoyed glance to the Doctor.

"Anytime, sweetie," River replied with a knowing smile, assuring her, "We'll see you soon enough."

"Keep him here?" Will asked her as he escorted Su to the door. River winked and sidled up to her beloved on the couch as the other couple left.

Outside, Su led Will to the garage. "Are you sure he doesn't know who you really are?" he asked.

"I don't think so, and River promised to help run him astray if he tries anything," she confided.

"I'll see you soon?"

She glanced back to the manor house. "Once he's gone, I can come and go as often as I can," she said teasingly and kissed him goodnight before stepping up into her own invisible craft.

Will took his time returning to the Library. "If you two are good, you can see yourselves to bed. I'm turning in myself."

"Thanks sweetie," River waved before turning back to the Doctor. "You're in a right mood tonight. Something bothering you?"

"Mm. Will. Jack. Gloucester. Su Smith," he counted off. "Jack says he'll be working to throw Gloucester off, but how much does he already know? What did Alistair reveal in his memoirs about me?"

"That's understandable," River agreed.

"Yes," he mused, still distracted.

"What?"

"Su. I think I remember where I saw her before?" he said. "She was one of the two women with Abraxas at our wedding. Then the blonde must be-" He stopped as he connected the dots. "No. It couldn't be?"

"You're just over thinking it, sweetie, seeing connections that aren't really there," she assured him as she let her fingers trace across him. "I seem to recall Amy saying you accused her of the same thing, once. There's nothing to be suspicious about with Su or Will."

He didn't say anything, but glanced out the window. The dim light in the room let him see the half moon rising outside. He let River play her game of distraction, but he was almost positive that he was right.

Governor Abraxas had been almost aggressive to him at first, until a greater danger presented itself. Then he seemed to act to help the Doctor's party, before disappearing, only to turn up again at the wedding. How had he known where it had taken place? Much less how he had gone from 52d Century Barcelona to 21st Century Earth? Was he immortal like Jack or a fellow time traveler? And if the one lady with him was who he now believed her to be, it had to be the latter. This opened up another level of questions as to their timelines against his. River timeline's was maddening enough, but now to have a potential enemy with the same? Each thought led to more thoughts and he didn't even realize River was pulling on his arm.

"Sweetie? Come to bed," she insisted. The tone of her voice left no question as to why. He didn't resist.

The next morning, Will woke to find the Time Lord looking out the window of his bedroom out onto the estate. "Ever hear of personal space?" he grumbled, wiping the sleep from his eyes.

The Time Lord didn't respond at first. "You know how difficult for me this is, Will."

"Didn't we discuss this last night?"

"I know you need your secrets, but you need to be honest with me."

"About what?"

"Susan. Jenny. Who Abraxas is."

Will gave a sigh of defeat. "She never mentioned Abraxas. Neither has Jenny."

The Doctor finally turned and looked at him for a long minute, studying him. He finally turned and left the room.

Neither man said anything more as the couple fixed their sons a farewell breakfast before giving them final instructions and tear-filled hugs and goodbyes.

Before departing, he finally pulled Will aside for a brief moment. "I'm placing my most valued possessions in your care Will Markham. Can I trust you?"

Will simply answered, "Mentor Chiron."

The Time Lord did not reply, but shook Will's hand, then reminded the boys to be on their best behavior before stepping into the invisible TARDIS with River. A minute later, a familiar groaning indicated that he had departed.

"Well then, you two, let's see what you already know to begin your education," Will suggested, ushering the twins back inside. He noticed Alistair gave no resistance, but Jamie stared after the spot where his parents had disappeared for a moment before following his brother.

* * *

TBC...

Author's note:

Character casting:

Alistair and Jamie - no one in particular. They won't be that age forever.

Sir James Gloucester was Primeval's Ben Miller at first, then I switched him to Philip Glenister from Life on Mars, changing the name several times along the way. As for his mystery prisoner(s)? soon...

Next: Schooling begins, we see what the Doctor is up to and who he's doing it with, and perhaps a secret or two will come to light? (aka finally getting to the arc that's been building since Will survived, I mean, _left_ Albion!)


	5. Ch26 Learning Curve

Doctor Who: ALBION - Countdown

Chapter 26 - Learning Curve

Disclaimer - I don't own nothing or nobody you know/recognize. Doctor Who is intellectual property of the BBC, afaik.

Characters: Gleeson!Doctor, Markham, River, Jack, OCs

* * *

Deep in the bowels of a nondescript office building, a man rose, as if hearing an alarm. He smiled, dressed, and grabbed the spork from his breakfast tray and began beating a rhythmic beat on his cell bars. The other residents of this small prison stood at attention. Before long, the outer doors opened and a gruff looking, middle aged, blond haired man entered, flanked by a small squad of soldiers.

"What do you think you're doing?" Gloucester barked.

"Nothing," he smiled at his jailer. "I'm just a bit bored."

Gloucester frowned even more. "Come off it. Do you really expect me to believe-"

"Lethbridge Omega Stasis Entropy Recombinant."

Gloucester froze. All emotion drained from his face. He reached forward and entered the keycode that opened the prisoner's cell, then knelt before the man. The soldiers followed suit.

"What is thy bidding, my Master?"

"The same thing I aim to do everywhere," the man replied. "We're going to destroy the Doctor's life." He began laughing as the other cells opened and the residents therein found themselves freed. All but one.

* * *

**Torchwood Estate, Scotland**

Will snuck into the boys' room as quiet as he could, right up to the bunk beds. He took a deep breath and banged the pots together as he hollered, "_WAKEY-WAKEY! FEET ON THE FLOOR AND OUT THE DOOR!_"

Neither covered lump moved. He poked one then the other with a pot. Both gave way, revealing pillows. He sighed and returned to the kitchen. He caught movement as he passed a window. One of the boys was sneaking into the garage. Will tossed the pots on the counter and headed out.

"What the Bloody Hades is going on out here?" he demanded, throwing open the door.

Alistair was startled and fumbled the device he was holding. It nearly hit the floor before he caught it. "You almost made me break that!" he accused his new guardian.

"What are the rules, boy?" Will demanded.

"What?"

"What are the rules your parents and I told you?"

"Seriously? I thought we were having one over on the old man?" he replied, not even looking up from his widget. "Mum said-"

"Your mother agreed with your father and I, that you two were to listen to me and obey any and all rules we laid out, for your protection, safety, and well being."

"Really?"

"Really. Where's Jamie?"

"Flooded if I know?" he shrugged.

Will raised an eyebrow at 'flooded', chalking it up to a colloquialism wherever the family had stayed before. He clasped a thick hand around the lad's neck. "Come on, breakfast is ready."

He took a quick glance around and not seeing the other boy, lead his blond charge back into the house only to find the brunette sitting at the table, already helping himself. Will shoved Alistair into a chair and stared at Jamie.

"What?" he asked cautiously.

"Where have you been?"

"In the Library?" he answered, pointing to a book beside him, _The Odyssey_. A slip of paper stuck out slightly, presumably marking his place.

"Your father wasn't much for rules, was he?" Will groused.

The boys looked at each other and smirked.

"I should have known better," he said, finally settling into a chair himself, still eyeing the pair. "Eat up, your education starts right after."

After clearing away the breakfast table, he lead them back out to the gym in the garage. "What was that gizmo you had?" he asked Alistair.

"Sonic scrambler," he mumbled. Will gave him a curious look. "Feedback scrambler for those toys we found," he explained. "I built it from the ones we didn't break."

Will pursed his lips, slightly impressed. "Range?"

He shrugged. "Not much, only ten miles."

Will stifled his amazement and tossed each a five pound weight.

"What are these for?" he heard one ask as he turned to grab the next items.

"See that balance beam?" he replied, turning back around with two bokken. "On it. Now." The twins climbed up on the padded beam, dropping the hand weights in the process. Will tucked the swords under one arm and tossed the weights back to the boys. "I didn't say you could drop these," he informed them then held up the swords. "You know what these are for?"

Both nodded. "We're going to duel up here?" Jamie asked.

"To start," Will smiled and tossed him a bokken.

"Yes!" Alistair exclaimed as he grabbed his sword.

Will smiled and stood to the side. "Begin," he announced and watched as the boys took a tentative step toward each other, testing their balance as they moved. They tapped the wooden blades lightly at first until they became more comfortable with the situation.

"Is this all?" Alistair asked as he parried his twin's thrust.

"Nope," Will said and gave them another minute before flipping a switch beside him. The floor mat around the beam covered the power cord. The balance beam began to rotate and both boys found themselves flung to the floor.

They looked at their tutor in astonishment. "Again," he commanded. The twins reluctantly took their places on the rolling bar, chastised when they would drop either the weights, the bokken, or themselves when they lost their balance.

After an hour, he finally relented. "Okay, get your shoes on, let's do a couple laps around the perimeter. Make sure you keep an eye out for more bugs, right?" he said and turned his back on the pair.

Neither boy was happy with that and Alistair threw his bokken back at Markham. Despite his burly appearance, Will easily sidestepped the sword without flinching and turned to the boy as it fell. "Five laps."

Jamie raised his sword. "Do I hear ten?" Will threatened, but the boy flipped his bokken and held the handle out for him to take it over a bent arm. "Much better," he noted.

He put the swords back in their stand, then ordered, "Right, straighten this mess up you two and I'll be back in a minute." He stepped outside and nearly ran into another pair. "You're late. Right lot in there, they are," he told them.

"What, those two?" Jenny replied. "Let me have at them," she decided and stepped inside the makeshift gym, her implanted military bearing obvious.

"I shudder to think what they're going to be like after this," Su snickered as she fell into Will's greeting arms.

"Right proper young Time Lords, I would hope," he smiled, hugging her tight.

"Just wait until I start my turn," Su chuckled.

"I'll flip you for it," he teased right back, stealing a kiss.

She pushed him back. "You do and you'll never see me again," she threatened. He didn't need her laugh to tell it was an empty threat.

"Eh, what could go wrong?" he laughed, lifting and kissing her. They fell to laughing as Jenny began shouting orders at the brothers inside.

* * *

"What could go wrong? _What could go wrong_?!" the Doctor fumed. The trio were pinned down by Sontaran fire. "I blame you for this!" he accused one of the women flanking him.

"Of course you do, sweetie," River patted his cheek before turning to their new friend. "Ready?"

"Always," Akasha said, drawing her katana. River checked the power level on her pistol, nodded to the other woman and the pair left the Time Lord to his own devices as they began their defense.

"No killing!" he called after the young, dark-skinned woman. "Remember the probic vent port on the back of their necks! One tap, they're out for the count!"

They had met Akasha two days before, shortly after arriving on the planet. The Sontarans had all but decimated her capitol, and the resistance was meager and failing. He and River had been treated suspiciously, as the local culture resembled that of the Earth's so-called "Far East", but the population seemed to be similar to Earth's, but had no Caucasoid peoples. He briefly wondered if this is what the first Europeans felt upon (re)'discovering' the Americas.

Akasha herself appeared to resemble one of the various tribes of African descent. Her dredlocks were held back by a simple headband, her dress seemed to favor Oriental cuts, but still very "Earth punk". She had already demonstrated knowledge of local martial arts and was extremely proficient with the katana she wore on her back.

River had tried to rally the remaining people, with little success, while the Doctor tried to learn why the Sontarans were there. Akasha's people claimed there were no real mining or other resources they were aware of being overtaken or stolen, especially that close to the city. No abductions for even temporary slave labor. He was forced to conclude they had only come for a training exercise and this location had been the unfortunate victim of chance.

A stray laser struck his shelter, near his head. He poked around to see the two women were already engaging the Sontarans. He sighed and got ready to stand. "Once more unto the breach, cry havoc!" he hollered as he ran to join them. Lacking any other weapons, he bunged as many rocks at the invaders as he could.

Before long, the trio found themselves outnumbered and taken captive. "Well, here's another fine mess you got us into," he groused to River as they were being led to the Sontaran commander.

"Admit it," she teased. "You've missed this." He winked and smiled at her. She growled her approval.

"Ugh," Akasha interrupted. "You two think this is some game? I'm trying to defend my home!"

"As are we, lass, as are we," he assured her as they were lead into a small clearing. "Ah, just the clone I was looking for," he greeted the ranking Sontaran. "I want you off this planet immediately."

"I am Commander Strake of the 13th Sontaran Fleet. Who do you think you are, to give me orders?"

"I'm the Doctor," he boasted, clasping his hands behind his back and rocking on his feet. His larger frame clearly meant to intimidate his opponent.

Strake's eyes narrowed. "You lie."

"Oh, don't get him started," River groaned. "You'll never hear the end of it."

"I didn't hear you complaining when I saved you from the Weeping Angels. More than once," he chided her.

"Do you two ever stop arguing?" Akasha complained.

"Of course, but what would be the fun in that?" River replied, turning to the young woman. "That's half the fun of what we do, it takes our enemies unawares." She spun back and held her (borrowed) squareness gun inches from Strake's short, pudgy face. "Like now."

"I believe I asked you to leave this planet, Commander Strake," the Time Lord reminded the clone army's commander.

"This is preposterous!" he declared. "No Sontaran Commander would ever fall for a stunt this farcical!"

"Tell that to every Sontaran Commander I've ever run into and run out of wherever it was they were trying to invade," the Doctor informed him.

River nodded. "Go ahead, ask your battle station to inquire about the Doctor and River Song. We'll wait," she urged.

Strake motioned to one of his men, who brought him a communications device. The Doctor held up his Sonic in a threatening manner, just in case. Strake punched in some information, waited a second, then started getting flustered. "This is reprehensible!"

"That's what we thought about you invading this place," River agreed. "Get out. Now."

"Just out of curiosity, are your files updated with my current mug?" the Time Lord inquired, grinning as he ran his free hand across his jaw line, as if to accentuate his latest appearance. River gave him a look of displeasure, which Strake took note of, even as his jaw appeared to be working, but it was hard to tell with no neck and behind the lip of his armor. He held up the device toward the Doctor, who held his Sonic to the device, just in case. A quick flash of a sensor on the top of the device and the Doctor's ginger-tressed burly visage was now part of the Sontaran militia's database. As were River and Akasha's faces, he realized.

"Now please give the lady back her sword and we'll let you leave peaceably," River requested, still holding her pistol to Strake's head. He nodded to another of his men, who reluctantly held the katana out for Akasha to take back.

"Are we done, then, sweetie?" River asked her husband.

"As soon as Commander Strake tells us why he chose this planet to invade?" he replied. "You have taken no minerals, slaves, or any other resource that could be gathered on this planet. Why did you come here?"

"This was merely a training exercise, Time Lord," he reluctantly informed the trio. "The Sontarans, Cybermen, even the Daleks have suffered assaults from an unknown individual, whose motives are not yet known." No sooner had he finished than his comm device began beeping. He glanced down at it, then up to the Doctor. "Until now."

All around the trio, the Sontarans suddenly took up an offensive position and announced as one, "Sontar Ha!"

"What's the meaning of this?" the Doctor demanded. "You already surrendered and agreed to depart this planet!"

"We would have, if your ruse hadn't just fallen apart," Strake informed him before calling him by another name: "_Abraxas_." He turned his device to show them the Doctor's just taken picture alongside a scruffy, almost barbaric, looking double. The Abraxas pictured had longer hair and at least a few day's beard growth. He was also wearing a rugged leather overcoat and appeared to be flashing the same Sonic device he had used in the arena on Barcelona, where he spared the Doctor's life from his werewolf associate.

The Time Lord and his wife exchanged concerned glances. "What did you call me?" he demanded as Strake pulled out his own pistol on the Doctor.

"You heard me, _Abraxas_," he replied as River and Akasha took up defensive stances. "You and your band have been assaulting various fleets all over this galaxy. You have destroyed armies with no warning and no mercy. We would applaud your actions if you had not already decimated several Sontaran fleets, as well as numerous Dalek and Cybermen factions."

"I am not this Abraxas, but I have encountered him, in the 52d Century," the Doctor admitted, holding his stance with his Sonic pointed at Strake. "I do not know why he resembles me, or I him, if that is the case. He seems somewhat antagonistic towards me, but released me and my then companions without giving us any reason. I have no reason to lie to you about this." He saw no reason to add the man had turned up at their wedding ceremony, or his suspicions about the man's possible true identity.

"You lie only to save your life and that of these two females," Strake countered. "You are all now under arrest, and will stand trial before the Shadow Proclamation for your crimes of genocide."

"_Genocide_?" The Doctor and River repeated, together. Even Akasha looked on, bewildered that she was being arrested with them.

"I would kill you right here if our alliance had not agreed to turn you over to the Shadow Proclamation," Strake informed them. "But that is the only reason."

"Balderdash!" the Time Lord declared. "I am not this Abraxas! When have I ever been antagonistic to your armies? Never! I have only routed your various invasions in defense of other worlds. I have never acted without cause, never assaulting you first!"

"Lies, Abraxas!" Strake countered. "You have cut a swath against our armies without mercy. You will stand trial or I will shoot you where you stand and present your corpse to our Alliance tribunal and the Shadow Proclamation!"

"Let the women go and I will come peacefully," the Doctor requested. "They have no part in this. They are truly innocent."

"No. The woman, River Song, is still wanted for the murder of the real Doctor, last of the Time Lords. The other may be an accomplice in these acts," Strake decided.

The couple exchanged a knowing look. "I served my time," River informed the Sontaran. "You can inquire at Stormcage. They have my file on record. I was released for good behavior, as well as assisting the Clerics on several occasions, commuting my sentence."

Strake was unconvinced. "That is not for me to decide, the three of you will be taken before the Shadow Proclamation and they will determine your collective guilt."

"I can assure you, the young girl we met only a few days ago, upon arriving on this planet," the Doctor pleaded. "Release her."

"Guilt by association!" Strake declared.

The Time Lord nodded his understanding and turned to Akasha. "I am sorry," he told her, taking her hand. "Our meeting was by chance, and now I have ruined your life merely by assisting your planet's defense of these, these _thugs_." Strake snarled at this accusation.

Akasha scowled at him and tried to pull her hand free. He held tighter. "Let go of me!" she demanded.

River laid her hand on top of theirs, gripping tight. "She's right, sweetie, we really should let her go," she said as the Doctor seemed to rest his other hand on top of his wife's. River turned to Strake. "Later, boys."

The trio disappeared in a flash of light as the Doctor activated her vortex manipulator. Strake immediately started shouting commands to find them or they would all feel his wrath. His troops scattered to search for their lost prisoners.

Akasha found herself turned inside out as they appeared next to a large blue wooden box with windows and a light on top. "Don't fight the urge, sweetie, just give it a second and you'll be fine," River advised, releasing the other woman's hand. Akasha turned away and leaned against the TARDIS, sick to her stomach. The Doctor ignored her as he stepped inside the blue door.

"W-what was that?" Akasha finally stammered. "What did you just do?"

"Escape clause," River replied, checking her wrist device. "You might as well come inside. Now they think you're an accomplice to us and your planet will not be safe as long as you stay here."

"W-what!? What is going on?"

"It seems an acquaintance of ours has been up to no good," she informed the younger woman. "We only met briefly, as the Doctor said, and have no clue who or what he is," she said, looking away.

Akasha could tell she wasn't being entirely honest. "What happens now?"

"Your life is now in danger, so naturally, you'll come with us," River informed her.

"W-what? I can't!"

"Your planet could barely defend a 'training exercise', girl. How do you expect to defend your entire planet when you have an entire army out for your head?" she inquired. "Trust me, it's safer with us."

"I can't!" she protested again, weaker.

River put an arm around the woman's shoulders. "I am sorry, but it's for the best, really. We'll see about clearing your name and return you as soon as everything is straightened out."

"How long will that take?" she asked meekly as River showed her inside.

"This is a time machine, sweetie. We can return you last week, if we wanted." She glanced up to see the Doctor give her a stern look from the control console.

"Then why don't we go back a week, right now?"

"We can't," he told her. "You weren't aware of our existence before a few days ago, so going back even a day further than that would have repercussions to the time line you can't even imagine."

Akasha stopped and seemed to take in where she was. She glanced around at the large central room, the two tiers of walkways above, and the various doorways scattered about, leading down hallways into the depths of a far larger craft. "It's...it's-" The Doctor smiled, expecting her next words. "Is this craft a...tesseract?"

His smile faded. "It's dimensionally transcendent," he sniffed.

River leaned over to whisper in her ear. "He always likes it when they say 'it's bigger on the inside.'"

"Well, obviously," Akasha replied. "Otherwise, it would be a tight fit in here for the three of us." She pointedly looked at the Time Lord's thicker body. "Really tight."

"You know, I could leave you here to fend for yourself, girl," he admonished her.

"Not if what you say is true," she countered, stepping up to the console and looking over the controls.

"Don't touch anything," he scolded her.

"I didn't say I was going to," she retorted.

"Oh, this is going to be fun," River noted as the Doctor dematerialized the craft. "Where to next?"

"We find out who this Abraxas really is, and put a stop to him," he replied. He had an idea of where to start, but the only problem with that was when everything changed for his prime suspect.

River didn't let on she knew his real identity and forced a smile. "Of course."

* * *

**UNIT/Torchwood HQ**

Martha Jones entered the main building of Torchwood and saw the increased flurry of activity. She pushed past the various workers and armed guards to her floor, only to be confronted by Mr. Belew.

"Martha Jones, just who we were waiting for," he beamed.

"What's going on?" she inquired. "Did something happen? It looks like we're at Red Alert."

"More of a Blue Alert," the lean, blond man smirked. "Come with me, Dr. Jones." He motioned her to follow and began walking away.

"No, seriously, what's going on?" she asked again as he led her to an office. She stopped outside it, recognizing where she was. She quickly made a motion as if she was scratching her ear, but really triggered an eavesdropping device located in her earring.

"After you, Dr. Jones," Belew urged as he opened the door. He shut it as she stepped inside.

Philip Gloucester was at his secretary's desk, a blank look on his face. "Please enter," he said in a dull monotone.

"What's wrong with you, Gloucester? You look like you've been hypnotized or drugged?" she asked, more for the benefit of her partner than a direct question. He moved sluggishly, pointing at his inner office door.

Martha cautiously opened it and found someone else seated in his chair, back to the door. "Dr. Martha Jones, I presume?" the man inquired. He turned to face her.

"Y-Yes?" Martha gave the man a confused look. She had never seen the man with curly brown hair and a charcoal pin-striped suit before. He seemed to know her, however. "Who are you? What's going on here?"

The man smiled. "You and your friend know me by many names, but for now, you can call me your new Master."

Martha gasped. "No, that's not true! The Master is dead!"

"Hmm? Oh yes, that man is dead, as far as I know, and I've been told all he did to...let's say a mutual friend, shall we?" he informed her, then called out, "Isn't that right, Captain Harkness?"

"W-what are you talking about? Is Jack here, too?"

"Let's not play games, Dr. Jones. I know full well that fool is listening in on your earring," he explained. "I sure hope he doesn't think he's going to mount any sort of rescue before my troops are ready for him."

"I don't know what you're talking about?" she stammered.

"I am no fool, Martha. I know all about his friends and what they would do for him. I know you two have been in cahoots since I took control of this-" He waved his hands about. "-this seedy little operation." He casually adjusted a ring on his finger. Without warning, Belew and Gloucester entered and each grabbed one of her arms.

"What are you doing? Let me go!"

"I do hope you won't be much trouble, dear Martha," the man continued. "I know you think you were one of his favorites. Just another of his many, many lies."

"He'll stop you!" she exclaimed. "The Doctor will always stop you!"

The man gave a soft chuckle. "My dear, deluded Dr. Jones. Whatever gave you the idea the Doctor was my primary target?"

Her face twisted in confusion for a moment before she realized who she was talking about. "Markham?"

The man rose. "Getting warmer, and that fat waste of meat is the only thing in my way."

"The boys?! No! Jack! Jack, you've got to warn them!" she screamed, struggling to break free.

The man shook his head. "I'm sorry, I blocked your signal. Captain Harkness knows you're in trouble, but not the Last Children of Gallifrey."

Martha stopped her struggling and froze. "W-what did you say?"

"The Last Children of Gallifrey." he repeated. "The Doctor's offspring that should have never been, and now, never will be. The Last Scions of the Time Lords ends with their deaths."

"NO!" she cried. "You're a- You're a monster! That's genocide!"

"A handful of deaths is a genocide? They're not even pure Gallifreyan, thanks to their halfbreed mother. She's pure Earthling, changed by being conceived inside the TARDIS as her sons were."

"I suppose River is next on your hit list, is she?"

"My dear, River Song has already been dealt with. Her fate was decided long before I came here and allowed myself to be taken captive. It was all part of my plan."

"I was wrong," she decided. "You're not the Master. His only quarrel was with the Doctor, you're even worse."

He seemed to consider that a moment. "Very well, you may call me Abaddon, then. Abe, if you must," he informed her, "but you won't be saying that for long." He nodded to the pair holding her. "Gentlemen, take her away, we have a war to win," he gloated as she was forcibly removed from his new office.

He returned to his desk and adjusted his ring again. "Jack, if you're still listening, it's already too late to stop me. I already know I've won. I've seen what happens next. There's nothing you can do to stop me."

Hidden away in his private command, Jack turned off his monitors. "Did you get that?" he said to the other screen. "You need to get them out."

"Understood, we've been expecting this," the female voice replied. "Thanks for the head's up, Jack. We'll see you."

"Good luck and be careful, beautiful," he replied, turned off the second monitor, and began adjusting his vortex manipulator. He recalled the Doctor had once deactivated it's teleportation capabilities, but he had found a way around that block even with 21st Century technology. The Doctor hadn't said anything during their last interactions, when they had been shunted to the parallel world of Albion, but perhaps he knew Jack would only find a way around it once more. Or perhaps he had anticipated an occurrence such as this, when Jack would need it to save lives. He thought he had sacrificed it once to save a life, but someone had recovered it and returned it to him shortly after their return from the Library, across light years and centuries. Jack suspected the lives he was about to save were never anticipated, but then again, the Doctor always seemed to be ready for whatever unexpected twist the universe would throw at him.

He locked in his default coordinates and activated the device, disappearing from his hideaway and reappearing in a Scottish field, a large manor house rising up behind him. He could already see the people living here scurrying about.

"Will! Su! Jenny!" he called out, approaching the manor as one of the women disappeared behind the garage. He ran towards the spot before he realized it was getting darker. He stopped to glance up and was nearly floored at what he saw. The Valiant helicarrier was moving into position over the Torchwood Estate.

Jack turned and ran toward the house. "Will! RUN!" he screamed as thunder shook the sky. It took Jack a long moment to realize it wasn't thunder, but by then, he was already falling as fire ripped through him. Gunfire. He watched helplessly as the Torchwood Estate was being slowly obliterated and he could see soldiers now swarming in, dropping from the sky and ready to pick off anyone they could. Jack could barely find the breath to cry out in shock at the assault before he felt more white hot metal spearing through him and he lost consciousness.

The assault was over in less than ten minutes. The remains of the buildings were piles of burning timber. Soldiers who had been placed along the perimeter before the assault claimed they saw no one leave the premises, although several people were sighted running around in the moments prior could not be located now, save for Harkness.

Abaddon stood over the bullet riddled body of the immortal as his guards cuffed the corpse. He motioned and Gloucester and Belew brought Martha forward. She screamed as she saw Jack's lifeless body, although both she and Abaddon knew he would revive shortly.

Abaddon stood there, receiving reports from his cronies. No bodies had been found, living or dead. No one had been spotted leaving the premises, but Markham, two boys and one of the women had been confirmed as spotted, but were nowhere to be found.

None of this seemed to surprise Abaddon. He glanced down and saw Harkness begin to move. "Welcome back, Jack," he gloated. "It seems you missed most of the fun." He dropped to a crouch beside the immortal. "Now tell me where they are before I make you regret it."

"Never," Jack coughed.

Abaddon shrugged then spoke into a mobile. "You have the woman?" he smiled at the response. "Put her on, I'd like her to say goodbye to her dear friend Harkness."

He held out the phone, placing it against Jack's still ruined ear. The pleading voice on the other end made his heart skip a beat. "Jack? What's going on? Who are these people?" Gwen Cooper sobbed.

"G-Gwen?" he coughed? "Where are you?"

The man pulled the phone back before she could say anything. "You have them all? Good. Pick one of them at random...and shoot them." He held out the mobile between Jack and Martha.

The two captives cried out against the order, but could hear two pops come from the phone. All went silent for a moment.

Finally a weak, plaintive sob could be heard. "Rhys! No! You bastards! _RHYS!_"

Martha closed her eyes in a silent prayer for the man who she had only met briefly a few times. Jack choked back his anger, but refused to let his friend die in vain.

"Pick on someone who can fight back, you bastard," he cursed under his breath.

Abaddon kicked him in the stomach. "This isn't a pre-emptive attack or fighting back, Jack. It's revenge." He turned and began to walk away. "Bring them. They still have some use as hostages."

In less than an hour, there was no sign a small army had been present at the Torchwood Estate, much could be said for the estate, itself. There was no one left to observe the arrival of another craft, one far older than it's weathered blue exterior appearance suggested.

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS and stared aghast. River followed, distracted by telling Akasha "We just need to check in with a friend and then-" the words died in her throat as she turned from Akasha to survey the devastation before them. She grabbed her husband's hand tight. "_No!_"

Akasha looked on the smouldering rubble in awe. "And I thought my home was in bad shape?"

"This is no time for jokes, girl!" he snapped in quiet fury.

"I wasn't," she replied.

"River?" he nudged his wife. Her eyes were tear-filled. "You have your scanner?"

"What? Yes. Yes, of course," she fumbled, scrambling for her hip pouch, never taking her eyes off the ruin before them. She handed the device to her husband without a thought, then stumbled forward. "They had to escape, they had to," she muttered. "But who-?" she turned back to the Doctor. "Who would do such a thing?"

He scowled at the device in his hands, then pulled out his Sonic and scanned the area again. "No energy discharge. Only ballistics, which means it was a local."

"Human? Who knew what was here? Who would-?" The words caught in her throat. The Doctor held an arm and she hugged him, afraid to start drying because she knew she might not stop.

"There were lots of people here," Akasha said, kneeling and examining the ground nearby. The Doctor and River gave each other a curious, but impressed look. "I count at least thirty, most wearing the same pattern on their footwear?" She knew she was out of her depth, but it was something to offer. A nearby patch of flattened grass caught her eye. "Someone was injured?" she called back. "There's blood."

The Doctor and River ran to her. He scanned the area the other woman was examining. "Not just any blood. Jack's." He gave a concerned look to River but Akasha interrupted him before he could say anything.

"There are different tread patterns here?" she informed them. "Two, no, three patterns are different from the rest. Two of them flank a fourth, looks like a smaller frame, and...some sort of hobbled person? Front tread, but the back is only some sort of support?"

"High heels?" River offered.

Akasha gave her a confused look and shrugged her ignorance of Earthen footwear. "I have no idea what those are, but two of the patterns were flanking her the entire time they were here."

"She was hostage to the events," the Doctor realized. "And if Jack was here-?" He looked to River. "Su? Martha?"

"If Jack was here and injured, then my money would be on Martha," she replied. "That means Torchwood."

The Doctor turned to Akasha. "Can you track these prints?"

She shook her head. "There was too much movement, too many to track. Apparently, whoever stood here had a clear vantage point of the attack, but as soon as it was over, they cleared out, and their army trampled any trail they may have left."

The Doctor frowned. "Spread out, find any trace of where they may have come from or gone to," he ordered. He headed toward the remains of the building. Memories of his encounters here with Rose, Gwen, and werewolves both times flooded his mind, as did the thought of the last occupants he had left not that long ago. He buried those thoughts and pressed on, scanning for any trace of...anything, he realized.

He soon realized there were no human remains to be found, thankfully, but that still didn't explain where his sons and their guardian (or guardians?) had disappeared to. "Have you two found anything?" he called out.

"I can't tell what was coming or going, but there were multiple vehicles of some sort, here?" Akasha offered.

"I have faint traces of jet fuel exhaust?" River replied, still tapping away at her scanner. "What does that mean to you?"

"Jet fuel?" he echoed. "Could be some sort of hovercraft?"

River shook her head. "It's concentrated. Whatever it was, it was big. Really big."

The Time Lord scanned the area again. "Massive. The Valiant was here," he groused. "That's UNIT. It's also where I thought the Master died, in front of me, Jack, and Martha's family."

"UNIT? They sent an aircraft carrier to Scotland and obliterated the estate?" River asked. "That's not overkill, that's...beyond a grudge, even?"

The Doctor ignored her and scanned the remains of the buildings again. Whatever he was looking for, he didn't like the answer the Sonic gave him and scanned it once more. "Artron energy. There was another TARDIS here."

"Another TARDIS?" River echoed. "But who-?"

He spun and scowled at her. "No more games, River Song. Do you know who has our children? Who has another TARDIS?"

She looked him in the eye. "Don't you think I would tell you if I knew?" she lied. "They're my sons, too."

He didn't buy it. "So help me, woman-"

"What?" she dared. "You think I don't care about our sons? _My sons?_ You know full well what I've been through for you. Do you think I would arrange to have our own children kidnapped or allowed them to be taken from us? Is that what you think?"

"After what happened with Madame Kovar-"

She moved faster than he expected her to. The slap sent him reeling this time, despite his larger frame the last time she had slapped him. At that time, he had no idea she and her parents had just been witness to his murder. Even then, he was unaware it had been staged by his then-future self. This time, he knew he was innocent, but her rage was justly placed. He rubbed his jaw and turned back to her. There was a mother's fury in her eyes.

"River-" he began, but her glare nearly stopped him. "I'm sorry."

She turned her back on him, crossing her arms. He saw her shudder. He stepped up behind her and held her shoulders lightly. "I'm sorry," he whispered again. She turned and held him tight, finally allowing the tears to come. "We'll find them. I promise. If we have to run to the ends of time and the universe, we'll find them."

Akasha had stood silent witness to this. She felt sorry for them, not knowing of their children were alive or dead, but obviously missing. She motioned to the Time Lord she was going back in the TARDIS and left them to their grief.

No sooner had she stepped back inside than she saw another woman standing by the control console. "Hello? Can I help you?" she asked.

The woman had on a ratty green dress, her hair a tangle of dark curls, just as wild as River's. She turned and smiled at the newcomer, then flickered away as if she had never been.

"_DOCTOR!_" Akasha yelled. The couple came running in moments later. "There was a woman!" she explained, before describing what she had seen and where the woman had stood.

The Time Lord looked over the panel, gave a frown, then a large smile spread across his face. "Blimey! Ladies, we have our first lead!"

* * *

Deep in a sub-basement, Jack Harkness found himself chained to a wall, stripped nearly naked. "You know, this brings back so many memories," he quipped to the man before him. "Of course, not all of them were good."

Abaddon punched Jack in the gut again. "How do I make this work?" he demanded again of the vortex manipulator on the table beside them.

"Release Martha," Jack replied once more. "Release Gwen's family. Once I know they're all safe, I'll tell you everything."

"Or I kill them all."

"Then I'll never tell you a thing," Jack retorted, "for the rest of my life."

"A very long life, I've heard," Abaddon replied. "I also know that you still have a long life ahead of you. Potentially."

Jack was confused. "What?"

Abaddon grabbed a knife from the table, seemed to examine the edge for a long moment, then smiled at Jack. Without warning, he stabbed Jack in the liver. Jack grunted, but the wound began to heal almost immediately.

"Interesting."

"And painful," Jack gasped.

"Let's try this one, then," Abaddon suggested, grabbed Jack's hair, pulling his head back, then sliced deep across his throat. Jack began gasping for air while Abaddon set the blade down and tossed the water from a glass, held it up to Jack's neck and collected the blood gushing forth.

Jack tried to hold on to consciousness as long as he could, but as he began to pass out, he saw the man pull the glass away, sniff it like a brandy, then down it's contents with glee.

Seeing that Jack would be gone for a minute, Abaddon casually held the glass up to be filled again, but the blood was starting to slow as the immortal's body began to repair itself. He filled as much of his glass as he could before downing it's contents once more. He licked the crimson from his lips and left the man hanging.

His stroll down the corridor was met by angry stares from the current prisoners. Dr. Martha Jones had been allowed to tend to Rhys Williams' wounds under supervision, while Gwen Cooper was kept separate from her spouse, as was Mickey Smith. He briefly paused before the other prisoner.

"Are you sure you don't want to join me?" he asked again.

An angry snarl was his reply.

"Have it your way, then," Abaddon shrugged and left the prisoners to their own thoughts.

* * *

TBC...


End file.
